diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/ti/wlcore/main.c b/drivers/net/wireless/ti/wlcore/main.c
index 89f69d949443f5fb91bedeb660e3bcc626a0aa2c..56a5308b5b03ebc3ad66e4f7a8531e4cd28b0190 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/ti/wlcore/main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/ti/wlcore/main.c
@@ -1200,8 +1200,8 @@ static void wl1271_op_tx(struct ieee80211_hw *hw,
 	 */
 	if (hlid == WL12XX_INVALID_LINK_ID ||
 	    (!test_bit(hlid, wlvif->links_map)) ||
-	     (wlcore_is_queue_stopped(wl, wlvif, q) &&
-	      !wlcore_is_queue_stopped_by_reason(wl, wlvif, q,
+	     (wlcore_is_queue_stopped_locked(wl, wlvif, q) &&
+	      !wlcore_is_queue_stopped_by_reason_locked(wl, wlvif, q,
 			WLCORE_QUEUE_STOP_REASON_WATERMARK))) {
 		wl1271_debug(DEBUG_TX, "DROP skb hlid %d q %d", hlid, q);
 		ieee80211_free_txskb(hw, skb);
@@ -1220,7 +1220,7 @@ static void wl1271_op_tx(struct ieee80211_hw *hw,
 	 * the queue here, otherwise the queue will get too long.
 	 */
 	if (wlvif->tx_queue_count[q] >= WL1271_TX_QUEUE_HIGH_WATERMARK &&
-	    !wlcore_is_queue_stopped_by_reason(wl, wlvif, q,
+	    !wlcore_is_queue_stopped_by_reason_locked(wl, wlvif, q,
 					WLCORE_QUEUE_STOP_REASON_WATERMARK)) {
 		wl1271_debug(DEBUG_TX, "op_tx: stopping queues for q %d", q);
 		wlcore_stop_queue_locked(wl, wlvif, q,
@@ -3229,10 +3229,7 @@ static int wlcore_op_set_key(struct ieee80211_hw *hw, enum set_key_cmd cmd,
 		 * stop the queues and flush to ensure the next packets are
 		 * in sync with FW spare block accounting
 		 */
-		mutex_lock(&wl->mutex);
 		wlcore_stop_queues(wl, WLCORE_QUEUE_STOP_REASON_SPARE_BLK);
-		mutex_unlock(&wl->mutex);
-
 		wl1271_tx_flush(wl);
 	}
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/ti/wlcore/tx.c b/drivers/net/wireless/ti/wlcore/tx.c
index d464a8eba7b0ab9868315bd99e165c3e8a55c563..894ddc73a89025632f3b1fd95ed60f40603a6993 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/ti/wlcore/tx.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/ti/wlcore/tx.c
@@ -1287,14 +1287,33 @@ void wlcore_wake_queues(struct wl1271 *wl,
 bool wlcore_is_queue_stopped_by_reason(struct wl1271 *wl,
 				       struct wl12xx_vif *wlvif, u8 queue,
 				       enum wlcore_queue_stop_reason reason)
+{
+	unsigned long flags;
+	bool stopped;
+
+	spin_lock_irqsave(&wl->wl_lock, flags);
+	stopped = wlcore_is_queue_stopped_by_reason_locked(wl, wlvif, queue,
+							   reason);
+	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&wl->wl_lock, flags);
+
+	return stopped;
+}
+
+bool wlcore_is_queue_stopped_by_reason_locked(struct wl1271 *wl,
+				       struct wl12xx_vif *wlvif, u8 queue,
+				       enum wlcore_queue_stop_reason reason)
 {
 	int hwq = wlcore_tx_get_mac80211_queue(wlvif, queue);
+
+	WARN_ON_ONCE(!spin_is_locked(&wl->wl_lock));
 	return test_bit(reason, &wl->queue_stop_reasons[hwq]);
 }
 
-bool wlcore_is_queue_stopped(struct wl1271 *wl, struct wl12xx_vif *wlvif,
-			     u8 queue)
+bool wlcore_is_queue_stopped_locked(struct wl1271 *wl, struct wl12xx_vif *wlvif,
+				    u8 queue)
 {
 	int hwq = wlcore_tx_get_mac80211_queue(wlvif, queue);
+
+	WARN_ON_ONCE(!spin_is_locked(&wl->wl_lock));
 	return !!wl->queue_stop_reasons[hwq];
 }
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/ti/wlcore/tx.h b/drivers/net/wireless/ti/wlcore/tx.h
index 751bb6f46cbf8124ca2254692cf671235944d8d9..55aa4acf9105a4e703036b0b12250ae19a9a7f81 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/ti/wlcore/tx.h
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/ti/wlcore/tx.h
@@ -268,8 +268,13 @@ void wlcore_wake_queues(struct wl1271 *wl,
 bool wlcore_is_queue_stopped_by_reason(struct wl1271 *wl,
 				       struct wl12xx_vif *wlvif, u8 queue,
 				       enum wlcore_queue_stop_reason reason);
-bool wlcore_is_queue_stopped(struct wl1271 *wl, struct wl12xx_vif *wlvif,
-			     u8 queue);
+bool
+wlcore_is_queue_stopped_by_reason_locked(struct wl1271 *wl,
+					 struct wl12xx_vif *wlvif,
+					 u8 queue,
+					 enum wlcore_queue_stop_reason reason);
+bool wlcore_is_queue_stopped_locked(struct wl1271 *wl, struct wl12xx_vif *wlvif,
+				    u8 queue);
 
 /* from main.c */
 void wl1271_free_sta(struct wl1271 *wl, struct wl12xx_vif *wlvif, u8 hlid);