diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_client.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_client.c
index e6b9263f5c0d98914072eb828c2b30f154c28ec3..8726269188f330f99f4dac211389d2eddf3f530b 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_client.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_client.c
@@ -541,6 +541,7 @@ void i40e_client_subtask(struct i40e_pf *pf)
 			 client->name, pf->hw.pf_id,
 			 pf->hw.bus.device, pf->hw.bus.func);
 
+		mutex_lock(&i40e_client_instance_mutex);
 		/* Send an Open request to the client */
 		atomic_inc(&cdev->ref_cnt);
 		if (client->ops && client->ops->open)
@@ -554,6 +555,7 @@ void i40e_client_subtask(struct i40e_pf *pf)
 			atomic_dec(&client->ref_cnt);
 			continue;
 		}
+		mutex_unlock(&i40e_client_instance_mutex);
 	}
 	mutex_unlock(&i40e_client_mutex);
 }