diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/wmi.c b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/wmi.c
index ef861b19fd47..96482ad23145 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/wmi.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/wmi.c
@@ -239,10 +239,10 @@ static void ath9k_wmi_ctrl_rx(void *priv, struct sk_buff *skb,
 		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&wmi->wmi_lock, flags);
 		goto free_skb;
 	}
-	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&wmi->wmi_lock, flags);
 
 	/* WMI command response */
 	ath9k_wmi_rsp_callback(wmi, skb);
+	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&wmi->wmi_lock, flags);
 
 free_skb:
 	kfree_skb(skb);
@@ -305,8 +305,8 @@ int ath9k_wmi_cmd(struct wmi *wmi, enum wmi_cmd_id cmd_id,
 	struct ath_common *common = ath9k_hw_common(ah);
 	u16 headroom = sizeof(struct htc_frame_hdr) +
 		       sizeof(struct wmi_cmd_hdr);
+	unsigned long time_left, flags;
 	struct sk_buff *skb;
-	unsigned long time_left;
 	int ret = 0;
 
 	if (ah->ah_flags & AH_UNPLUGGED)
@@ -342,7 +342,9 @@ int ath9k_wmi_cmd(struct wmi *wmi, enum wmi_cmd_id cmd_id,
 	if (!time_left) {
 		ath_dbg(common, WMI, "Timeout waiting for WMI command: %s\n",
 			wmi_cmd_to_name(cmd_id));
+		spin_lock_irqsave(&wmi->wmi_lock, flags);
 		wmi->last_seq_id = 0;
+		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&wmi->wmi_lock, flags);
 		mutex_unlock(&wmi->op_mutex);
 		return -ETIMEDOUT;
 	}