diff --git a/drivers/media/cec/core/cec-api.c b/drivers/media/cec/core/cec-api.c
index 52c30e4e2005..4510a4bec659 100644
--- a/drivers/media/cec/core/cec-api.c
+++ b/drivers/media/cec/core/cec-api.c
@@ -678,6 +678,8 @@ static int cec_release(struct inode *inode, struct file *filp)
 		list_del(&data->xfer_list);
 	}
 	mutex_unlock(&adap->lock);
+
+	mutex_lock(&fh->lock);
 	while (!list_empty(&fh->msgs)) {
 		struct cec_msg_entry *entry =
 			list_first_entry(&fh->msgs, struct cec_msg_entry, list);
@@ -695,6 +697,7 @@ static int cec_release(struct inode *inode, struct file *filp)
 			kfree(entry);
 		}
 	}
+	mutex_unlock(&fh->lock);
 	kfree(fh);
 
 	cec_put_device(devnode);