diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/core/sa_query.c b/drivers/infiniband/core/sa_query.c
index 8c69bdb5bb75..f56eee73ee4a 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/core/sa_query.c
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/core/sa_query.c
@@ -1021,6 +1021,8 @@ int ib_nl_handle_set_timeout(struct sk_buff *skb,
 	if (timeout > IB_SA_LOCAL_SVC_TIMEOUT_MAX)
 		timeout = IB_SA_LOCAL_SVC_TIMEOUT_MAX;
 
+	spin_lock_irqsave(&ib_nl_request_lock, flags);
+
 	delta = timeout - sa_local_svc_timeout_ms;
 	if (delta < 0)
 		abs_delta = -delta;
@@ -1028,7 +1030,6 @@ int ib_nl_handle_set_timeout(struct sk_buff *skb,
 		abs_delta = delta;
 
 	if (delta != 0) {
-		spin_lock_irqsave(&ib_nl_request_lock, flags);
 		sa_local_svc_timeout_ms = timeout;
 		list_for_each_entry(query, &ib_nl_request_list, list) {
 			if (delta < 0 && abs_delta > query->timeout)
@@ -1046,9 +1047,10 @@ int ib_nl_handle_set_timeout(struct sk_buff *skb,
 		if (delay)
 			mod_delayed_work(ib_nl_wq, &ib_nl_timed_work,
 					 (unsigned long)delay);
-		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&ib_nl_request_lock, flags);
 	}
 
+	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&ib_nl_request_lock, flags);
+
 settimeout_out:
 	return 0;
 }