diff --git a/mm/damon/dbgfs.c b/mm/damon/dbgfs.c
index 2741ff79e8e8..f94d19a690df 100644
--- a/mm/damon/dbgfs.c
+++ b/mm/damon/dbgfs.c
@@ -538,12 +538,14 @@ static ssize_t dbgfs_monitor_on_write(struct file *file,
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
+	mutex_lock(&damon_dbgfs_lock);
 	if (!strncmp(kbuf, "on", count))
 		err = damon_start(dbgfs_ctxs, dbgfs_nr_ctxs);
 	else if (!strncmp(kbuf, "off", count))
 		err = damon_stop(dbgfs_ctxs, dbgfs_nr_ctxs);
 	else
 		err = -EINVAL;
+	mutex_unlock(&damon_dbgfs_lock);
 
 	if (err)
 		ret = err;
@@ -596,15 +598,16 @@ static int __init __damon_dbgfs_init(void)
 
 static int __init damon_dbgfs_init(void)
 {
-	int rc;
+	int rc = -ENOMEM;
 
+	mutex_lock(&damon_dbgfs_lock);
 	dbgfs_ctxs = kmalloc(sizeof(*dbgfs_ctxs), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!dbgfs_ctxs)
-		return -ENOMEM;
+		goto out;
 	dbgfs_ctxs[0] = dbgfs_new_ctx();
 	if (!dbgfs_ctxs[0]) {
 		kfree(dbgfs_ctxs);
-		return -ENOMEM;
+		goto out;
 	}
 	dbgfs_nr_ctxs = 1;
 
@@ -615,6 +618,8 @@ static int __init damon_dbgfs_init(void)
 		pr_err("%s: dbgfs init failed\n", __func__);
 	}
 
+out:
+	mutex_unlock(&damon_dbgfs_lock);
 	return rc;
 }