diff --git a/kernel/bpf/btf.c b/kernel/bpf/btf.c
index a0887ee44e89..7db4ec125fbd 100644
--- a/kernel/bpf/btf.c
+++ b/kernel/bpf/btf.c
@@ -577,8 +577,8 @@ static s32 bpf_find_btf_id(const char *name, u32 kind, struct btf **btf_p)
 			*btf_p = btf;
 			return ret;
 		}
-		spin_lock_bh(&btf_idr_lock);
 		btf_put(btf);
+		spin_lock_bh(&btf_idr_lock);
 	}
 	spin_unlock_bh(&btf_idr_lock);
 	return ret;
@@ -8354,12 +8354,10 @@ check_modules:
 		btf_get(mod_btf);
 		spin_unlock_bh(&btf_idr_lock);
 		cands = bpf_core_add_cands(cands, mod_btf, btf_nr_types(main_btf));
-		if (IS_ERR(cands)) {
-			btf_put(mod_btf);
-			return ERR_CAST(cands);
-		}
-		spin_lock_bh(&btf_idr_lock);
 		btf_put(mod_btf);
+		if (IS_ERR(cands))
+			return ERR_CAST(cands);
+		spin_lock_bh(&btf_idr_lock);
 	}
 	spin_unlock_bh(&btf_idr_lock);
 	/* cands is a pointer to kmalloced memory here if cands->cnt > 0