diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/steering/dr_icm_pool.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/steering/dr_icm_pool.c
index 2c5886b469f7..4d8330aab169 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/steering/dr_icm_pool.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/steering/dr_icm_pool.c
@@ -332,10 +332,6 @@ static int dr_icm_handle_buddies_get_mem(struct mlx5dr_icm_pool *pool,
 	bool new_mem = false;
 	int err;
 
-	/* Check if we have chunks that are waiting for sync-ste */
-	if (dr_icm_pool_is_sync_required(pool))
-		dr_icm_pool_sync_all_buddy_pools(pool);
-
 alloc_buddy_mem:
 	/* find the next free place from the buddy list */
 	list_for_each_entry(buddy_mem_pool, &pool->buddy_mem_list, list_node) {
@@ -409,12 +405,18 @@ out:
 void mlx5dr_icm_free_chunk(struct mlx5dr_icm_chunk *chunk)
 {
 	struct mlx5dr_icm_buddy_mem *buddy = chunk->buddy_mem;
+	struct mlx5dr_icm_pool *pool = buddy->pool;
 
 	/* move the memory to the waiting list AKA "hot" */
-	mutex_lock(&buddy->pool->mutex);
+	mutex_lock(&pool->mutex);
 	list_move_tail(&chunk->chunk_list, &buddy->hot_list);
 	buddy->hot_memory_size += chunk->byte_size;
-	mutex_unlock(&buddy->pool->mutex);
+
+	/* Check if we have chunks that are waiting for sync-ste */
+	if (dr_icm_pool_is_sync_required(pool))
+		dr_icm_pool_sync_all_buddy_pools(pool);
+
+	mutex_unlock(&pool->mutex);
 }
 
 struct mlx5dr_icm_pool *mlx5dr_icm_pool_create(struct mlx5dr_domain *dmn,