diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/micrel/ks8851.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/micrel/ks8851.c
index e5dc0757f077e12287606c9191d3d2617fb0bd3f..ad10759e34596d540402ee7e93f6dd5c8a786a70 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/micrel/ks8851.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/micrel/ks8851.c
@@ -889,16 +889,17 @@ static int ks8851_net_stop(struct net_device *dev)
 	netif_stop_queue(dev);
 
 	mutex_lock(&ks->lock);
+	/* turn off the IRQs and ack any outstanding */
+	ks8851_wrreg16(ks, KS_IER, 0x0000);
+	ks8851_wrreg16(ks, KS_ISR, 0xffff);
+	mutex_unlock(&ks->lock);
 
 	/* stop any outstanding work */
 	flush_work(&ks->irq_work);
 	flush_work(&ks->tx_work);
 	flush_work(&ks->rxctrl_work);
 
-	/* turn off the IRQs and ack any outstanding */
-	ks8851_wrreg16(ks, KS_IER, 0x0000);
-	ks8851_wrreg16(ks, KS_ISR, 0xffff);
-
+	mutex_lock(&ks->lock);
 	/* shutdown RX process */
 	ks8851_wrreg16(ks, KS_RXCR1, 0x0000);
 
@@ -907,6 +908,7 @@ static int ks8851_net_stop(struct net_device *dev)
 
 	/* set powermode to soft power down to save power */
 	ks8851_set_powermode(ks, PMECR_PM_SOFTDOWN);
+	mutex_unlock(&ks->lock);
 
 	/* ensure any queued tx buffers are dumped */
 	while (!skb_queue_empty(&ks->txq)) {
@@ -918,7 +920,6 @@ static int ks8851_net_stop(struct net_device *dev)
 		dev_kfree_skb(txb);
 	}
 
-	mutex_unlock(&ks->lock);
 	return 0;
 }