diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_lif.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_lif.c
index 781313dbd04f..abfb5efc52b8 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_lif.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_lif.c
@@ -2974,11 +2974,10 @@ static void ionic_lif_handle_fw_down(struct ionic_lif *lif)
 
 	netif_device_detach(lif->netdev);
 
+	mutex_lock(&lif->queue_lock);
 	if (test_bit(IONIC_LIF_F_UP, lif->state)) {
 		dev_info(ionic->dev, "Surprise FW stop, stopping queues\n");
-		mutex_lock(&lif->queue_lock);
 		ionic_stop_queues(lif);
-		mutex_unlock(&lif->queue_lock);
 	}
 
 	if (netif_running(lif->netdev)) {
@@ -2989,6 +2988,8 @@ static void ionic_lif_handle_fw_down(struct ionic_lif *lif)
 	ionic_reset(ionic);
 	ionic_qcqs_free(lif);
 
+	mutex_unlock(&lif->queue_lock);
+
 	dev_info(ionic->dev, "FW Down: LIFs stopped\n");
 }
 
@@ -3012,9 +3013,12 @@ static void ionic_lif_handle_fw_up(struct ionic_lif *lif)
 	err = ionic_port_init(ionic);
 	if (err)
 		goto err_out;
+
+	mutex_lock(&lif->queue_lock);
+
 	err = ionic_qcqs_alloc(lif);
 	if (err)
-		goto err_out;
+		goto err_unlock;
 
 	err = ionic_lif_init(lif);
 	if (err)
@@ -3035,6 +3039,8 @@ static void ionic_lif_handle_fw_up(struct ionic_lif *lif)
 			goto err_txrx_free;
 	}
 
+	mutex_unlock(&lif->queue_lock);
+
 	clear_bit(IONIC_LIF_F_FW_RESET, lif->state);
 	ionic_link_status_check_request(lif, CAN_SLEEP);
 	netif_device_attach(lif->netdev);
@@ -3051,6 +3057,8 @@ err_lifs_deinit:
 	ionic_lif_deinit(lif);
 err_qcqs_free:
 	ionic_qcqs_free(lif);
+err_unlock:
+	mutex_unlock(&lif->queue_lock);
 err_out:
 	dev_err(ionic->dev, "FW Up: LIFs restart failed - err %d\n", err);
 }