diff --git a/libraries/AP_RangeFinder/AP_RangeFinder_MaxsonarI2CXL.cpp b/libraries/AP_RangeFinder/AP_RangeFinder_MaxsonarI2CXL.cpp
index fcb234be67..b5e585c666 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_RangeFinder/AP_RangeFinder_MaxsonarI2CXL.cpp
+++ b/libraries/AP_RangeFinder/AP_RangeFinder_MaxsonarI2CXL.cpp
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 
 #include <AP_HAL/AP_HAL.h>
 #include <AP_HAL/utility/sparse-endian.h>
+#include <AP_Common/Semaphore.h>
 
 extern const AP_HAL::HAL& hal;
 
@@ -130,12 +131,10 @@ void AP_RangeFinder_MaxsonarI2CXL::_timer(void)
 {
     uint16_t d;
     if (get_reading(d)) {
-        if (_sem->take(HAL_SEMAPHORE_BLOCK_FOREVER)) {
-            distance = d;
-            new_distance = true;
-            state.last_reading_ms = AP_HAL::millis();
-            _sem->give();
-        }
+        WITH_SEMAPHORE(_sem);
+        distance = d;
+        new_distance = true;
+        state.last_reading_ms = AP_HAL::millis();
     }
 }
 
@@ -144,15 +143,13 @@ void AP_RangeFinder_MaxsonarI2CXL::_timer(void)
 */
 void AP_RangeFinder_MaxsonarI2CXL::update(void)
 {
-    if (_sem->take_nonblocking()) {
-        if (new_distance) {
-            state.distance_cm = distance;
-            new_distance = false;
-            update_status();
-        } else if (AP_HAL::millis() - state.last_reading_ms > 300) {
-            // if no updates for 0.3 seconds set no-data
-            set_status(RangeFinder::RangeFinder_NoData);
-        }
-        _sem->give();
+    WITH_SEMAPHORE(_sem);
+    if (new_distance) {
+        state.distance_cm = distance;
+        new_distance = false;
+        update_status();
+    } else if (AP_HAL::millis() - state.last_reading_ms > 300) {
+        // if no updates for 0.3 seconds set no-data
+        set_status(RangeFinder::RangeFinder_NoData);
     }
 }
diff --git a/libraries/AP_RangeFinder/AP_RangeFinder_TeraRangerI2C.cpp b/libraries/AP_RangeFinder/AP_RangeFinder_TeraRangerI2C.cpp
index ea617114c4..3816686317 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_RangeFinder/AP_RangeFinder_TeraRangerI2C.cpp
+++ b/libraries/AP_RangeFinder/AP_RangeFinder_TeraRangerI2C.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include <utility>
 #include <AP_HAL/AP_HAL.h>
 #include <AP_Math/crc.h>
+#include <AP_Common/Semaphore.h>
 
 extern const AP_HAL::HAL& hal;
 
@@ -159,12 +160,13 @@ void AP_RangeFinder_TeraRangerI2C::timer(void)
     uint16_t _raw_distance = 0;
     uint16_t _distance_cm = 0;
 
-    if (collect_raw(_raw_distance) && _sem->take(HAL_SEMAPHORE_BLOCK_FOREVER)) {
+    if (collect_raw(_raw_distance)) {
+        WITH_SEMAPHORE(_sem);
+
         if (process_raw_measure(_raw_distance, _distance_cm)){
             accum.sum += _distance_cm;
             accum.count++;
         }
-        _sem->give();
     }
     // and immediately ask for a new reading
     measure();
@@ -175,16 +177,15 @@ void AP_RangeFinder_TeraRangerI2C::timer(void)
 */
 void AP_RangeFinder_TeraRangerI2C::update(void)
 {
-    if (_sem->take(HAL_SEMAPHORE_BLOCK_FOREVER)) {
-        if (accum.count > 0) {
-            state.distance_cm = accum.sum / accum.count;
-            state.last_reading_ms = AP_HAL::millis();
-            accum.sum = 0;
-            accum.count = 0;
-            update_status();
-        } else {
-            set_status(RangeFinder::RangeFinder_NoData);
-        }
-        _sem->give();
+    WITH_SEMAPHORE(_sem);
+
+    if (accum.count > 0) {
+        state.distance_cm = accum.sum / accum.count;
+        state.last_reading_ms = AP_HAL::millis();
+        accum.sum = 0;
+        accum.count = 0;
+        update_status();
+    } else {
+        set_status(RangeFinder::RangeFinder_NoData);
     }
 }
diff --git a/libraries/AP_RangeFinder/RangeFinder_Backend.cpp b/libraries/AP_RangeFinder/RangeFinder_Backend.cpp
index 8cd27ac94e..db86eb5a15 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_RangeFinder/RangeFinder_Backend.cpp
+++ b/libraries/AP_RangeFinder/RangeFinder_Backend.cpp
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ extern const AP_HAL::HAL& hal;
 AP_RangeFinder_Backend::AP_RangeFinder_Backend(RangeFinder::RangeFinder_State &_state) :
         state(_state)
 {
-    _sem = hal.util->new_semaphore();    
 }
 
 MAV_DISTANCE_SENSOR AP_RangeFinder_Backend::get_mav_distance_sensor_type() const {
diff --git a/libraries/AP_RangeFinder/RangeFinder_Backend.h b/libraries/AP_RangeFinder/RangeFinder_Backend.h
index 9097e0e999..14ce4a6292 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_RangeFinder/RangeFinder_Backend.h
+++ b/libraries/AP_RangeFinder/RangeFinder_Backend.h
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ protected:
     RangeFinder::RangeFinder_State &state;
 
     // semaphore for access to shared frontend data
-    AP_HAL::Semaphore *_sem;    
+    HAL_Semaphore _sem;
 
     virtual MAV_DISTANCE_SENSOR _get_mav_distance_sensor_type() const = 0;
 };