A computer-implemented method for a recursive spinlock includes storing a recursion level for the recursive spinlock in memory; responsive to a request to acquire the recursive spinlock by a process, performing one of (i) acquiring the recursive spinlock if not presently held by the process and incrementing the recursion level and (ii) incrementing the recursion level if the recursive spinlock is presently held by the process; and responsive to a request to release the recursive spinlock by the process, decrementing the recursion level and releasing the recursive spinlock if the recursion level is zero. The recursive spinlock can be implemented in a software wrapper used with existing software which supports recursive locks and the recursive spinlock is used in place of the recursive locks in the existing software. The computer-implemented method can be performed on a Symmetric Multiprocessor (SMP) hardware system.