diff --git a/drivers/pinctrl/pinmux.c b/drivers/pinctrl/pinmux.c
index 53fe25e9e8647c2f0db51abfad538de48a36b2f5..92cd855f374873d8ab42c3cb17d233df6945c7f8 100644
--- a/drivers/pinctrl/pinmux.c
+++ b/drivers/pinctrl/pinmux.c
@@ -247,18 +247,7 @@ static const char *pin_free(struct pinctrl_dev *pctldev, int pin,
 			return NULL;
 		}
 	}
-	mutex_unlock(&desc->mux_lock);
-
-	/*
-	 * If there is no kind of request function for the pin we just assume
-	 * we got it by default and proceed.
-	 */
-	if (gpio_range && ops->gpio_disable_free)
-		ops->gpio_disable_free(pctldev, gpio_range, pin);
-	else if (ops->free)
-		ops->free(pctldev, pin);
 
-	mutex_lock(&desc->mux_lock);
 	if (gpio_range) {
 		owner = desc->gpio_owner;
 		desc->gpio_owner = NULL;
@@ -269,6 +258,15 @@ static const char *pin_free(struct pinctrl_dev *pctldev, int pin,
 	}
 	mutex_unlock(&desc->mux_lock);
 
+	/*
+	 * If there is no kind of request function for the pin we just assume
+	 * we got it by default and proceed.
+	 */
+	if (gpio_range && ops->gpio_disable_free)
+		ops->gpio_disable_free(pctldev, gpio_range, pin);
+	else if (ops->free)
+		ops->free(pctldev, pin);
+
 	module_put(pctldev->owner);
 
 	return owner;