diff --git a/drivers/net/hamradio/mkiss.c b/drivers/net/hamradio/mkiss.c
index cfcd15af501e794777c0926ba45539b0dbfe89c1..30c9b3b0d1319fe0c18b4906594748ee3ddaa6e0 100644
--- a/drivers/net/hamradio/mkiss.c
+++ b/drivers/net/hamradio/mkiss.c
@@ -289,7 +289,6 @@ static void ax_bump(struct mkiss *ax)
 			*ax->rbuff &= ~0x20;
 		}
  	}
-	spin_unlock_bh(&ax->buflock);
 
 	count = ax->rcount;
 
@@ -297,17 +296,17 @@ static void ax_bump(struct mkiss *ax)
 		printk(KERN_ERR "mkiss: %s: memory squeeze, dropping packet.\n",
 		       ax->dev->name);
 		ax->stats.rx_dropped++;
+		spin_unlock_bh(&ax->buflock);
 		return;
 	}
 
-	spin_lock_bh(&ax->buflock);
 	memcpy(skb_put(skb,count), ax->rbuff, count);
-	spin_unlock_bh(&ax->buflock);
 	skb->protocol = ax25_type_trans(skb, ax->dev);
 	netif_rx(skb);
 	ax->dev->last_rx = jiffies;
 	ax->stats.rx_packets++;
 	ax->stats.rx_bytes += count;
+	spin_unlock_bh(&ax->buflock);
 }
 
 static void kiss_unesc(struct mkiss *ax, unsigned char s)