diff --git a/net/netfilter/x_tables.c b/net/netfilter/x_tables.c
index d1ef2d793073..8b60fc04c67c 100644
--- a/net/netfilter/x_tables.c
+++ b/net/netfilter/x_tables.c
@@ -330,6 +330,7 @@ static int match_revfn(u8 af, const char *name, u8 revision, int *bestp)
 	const struct xt_match *m;
 	int have_rev = 0;
 
+	mutex_lock(&xt[af].mutex);
 	list_for_each_entry(m, &xt[af].match, list) {
 		if (strcmp(m->name, name) == 0) {
 			if (m->revision > *bestp)
@@ -338,6 +339,7 @@ static int match_revfn(u8 af, const char *name, u8 revision, int *bestp)
 				have_rev = 1;
 		}
 	}
+	mutex_unlock(&xt[af].mutex);
 
 	if (af != NFPROTO_UNSPEC && !have_rev)
 		return match_revfn(NFPROTO_UNSPEC, name, revision, bestp);
@@ -350,6 +352,7 @@ static int target_revfn(u8 af, const char *name, u8 revision, int *bestp)
 	const struct xt_target *t;
 	int have_rev = 0;
 
+	mutex_lock(&xt[af].mutex);
 	list_for_each_entry(t, &xt[af].target, list) {
 		if (strcmp(t->name, name) == 0) {
 			if (t->revision > *bestp)
@@ -358,6 +361,7 @@ static int target_revfn(u8 af, const char *name, u8 revision, int *bestp)
 				have_rev = 1;
 		}
 	}
+	mutex_unlock(&xt[af].mutex);
 
 	if (af != NFPROTO_UNSPEC && !have_rev)
 		return target_revfn(NFPROTO_UNSPEC, name, revision, bestp);
@@ -371,12 +375,10 @@ int xt_find_revision(u8 af, const char *name, u8 revision, int target,
 {
 	int have_rev, best = -1;
 
-	mutex_lock(&xt[af].mutex);
 	if (target == 1)
 		have_rev = target_revfn(af, name, revision, &best);
 	else
 		have_rev = match_revfn(af, name, revision, &best);
-	mutex_unlock(&xt[af].mutex);
 
 	/* Nothing at all?  Return 0 to try loading module. */
 	if (best == -1) {