diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_virtchnl.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_virtchnl.c
index 5612c032f15a8909183bdd003e3bb34a8aac970f..b72606c9e6d03a6e494feaf435fe9ab9ea246f87 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_virtchnl.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_virtchnl.c
@@ -3625,6 +3625,8 @@ void ice_vc_process_vf_msg(struct ice_pf *pf, struct ice_rq_event_info *event)
 		return;
 	}
 
+	mutex_lock(&vf->cfg_lock);
+
 	/* Check if VF is disabled. */
 	if (test_bit(ICE_VF_STATE_DIS, vf->vf_states)) {
 		err = -EPERM;
@@ -3648,19 +3650,14 @@ void ice_vc_process_vf_msg(struct ice_pf *pf, struct ice_rq_event_info *event)
 				      NULL, 0);
 		dev_err(dev, "Invalid message from VF %d, opcode %d, len %d, error %d\n",
 			vf_id, v_opcode, msglen, err);
-		ice_put_vf(vf);
-		return;
+		goto finish;
 	}
 
-	mutex_lock(&vf->cfg_lock);
-
 	if (!ice_vc_is_opcode_allowed(vf, v_opcode)) {
 		ice_vc_send_msg_to_vf(vf, v_opcode,
 				      VIRTCHNL_STATUS_ERR_NOT_SUPPORTED, NULL,
 				      0);
-		mutex_unlock(&vf->cfg_lock);
-		ice_put_vf(vf);
-		return;
+		goto finish;
 	}
 
 	switch (v_opcode) {
@@ -3773,6 +3770,7 @@ void ice_vc_process_vf_msg(struct ice_pf *pf, struct ice_rq_event_info *event)
 			 vf_id, v_opcode, err);
 	}
 
+finish:
 	mutex_unlock(&vf->cfg_lock);
 	ice_put_vf(vf);
 }