diff --git a/net/rfkill/core.c b/net/rfkill/core.c
index 08630896b6c8..14cc8fe8584b 100644
--- a/net/rfkill/core.c
+++ b/net/rfkill/core.c
@@ -1180,7 +1180,6 @@ static int rfkill_fop_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 	init_waitqueue_head(&data->read_wait);
 
 	mutex_lock(&rfkill_global_mutex);
-	mutex_lock(&data->mtx);
 	/*
 	 * start getting events from elsewhere but hold mtx to get
 	 * startup events added first
@@ -1192,10 +1191,11 @@ static int rfkill_fop_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 			goto free;
 		rfkill_sync(rfkill);
 		rfkill_fill_event(&ev->ev, rfkill, RFKILL_OP_ADD);
+		mutex_lock(&data->mtx);
 		list_add_tail(&ev->list, &data->events);
+		mutex_unlock(&data->mtx);
 	}
 	list_add(&data->list, &rfkill_fds);
-	mutex_unlock(&data->mtx);
 	mutex_unlock(&rfkill_global_mutex);
 
 	file->private_data = data;
@@ -1203,7 +1203,6 @@ static int rfkill_fop_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 	return stream_open(inode, file);
 
  free:
-	mutex_unlock(&data->mtx);
 	mutex_unlock(&rfkill_global_mutex);
 	mutex_destroy(&data->mtx);
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(ev, tmp, &data->events, list)