diff --git a/drivers/block/nbd.c b/drivers/block/nbd.c
index 478aa86fc1f2..f9e189534304 100644
--- a/drivers/block/nbd.c
+++ b/drivers/block/nbd.c
@@ -385,17 +385,16 @@ static enum blk_eh_timer_return nbd_xmit_timeout(struct request *req,
 	struct nbd_device *nbd = cmd->nbd;
 	struct nbd_config *config;
 
+	if (!mutex_trylock(&cmd->lock))
+		return BLK_EH_RESET_TIMER;
+
 	if (!refcount_inc_not_zero(&nbd->config_refs)) {
 		cmd->status = BLK_STS_TIMEOUT;
+		mutex_unlock(&cmd->lock);
 		goto done;
 	}
 	config = nbd->config;
 
-	if (!mutex_trylock(&cmd->lock)) {
-		nbd_config_put(nbd);
-		return BLK_EH_RESET_TIMER;
-	}
-
 	if (config->num_connections > 1) {
 		dev_err_ratelimited(nbd_to_dev(nbd),
 				    "Connection timed out, retrying (%d/%d alive)\n",
@@ -792,7 +791,10 @@ static bool nbd_clear_req(struct request *req, void *data, bool reserved)
 {
 	struct nbd_cmd *cmd = blk_mq_rq_to_pdu(req);
 
+	mutex_lock(&cmd->lock);
 	cmd->status = BLK_STS_IOERR;
+	mutex_unlock(&cmd->lock);
+
 	blk_mq_complete_request(req);
 	return true;
 }