diff --git a/drivers/pinctrl/core.c b/drivers/pinctrl/core.c
index 7f0557ba7e0d153fa13f0095d74773a1e7065542..7342148c657298a3c295eee0caac3e56ac8c47ee 100644
--- a/drivers/pinctrl/core.c
+++ b/drivers/pinctrl/core.c
@@ -1101,8 +1101,8 @@ static struct pinctrl *create_pinctrl(struct device *dev,
 		 * an -EPROBE_DEFER later, as that is the worst case.
 		 */
 		if (ret == -EPROBE_DEFER) {
-			pinctrl_free(p, false);
 			mutex_unlock(&pinctrl_maps_mutex);
+			pinctrl_free(p, false);
 			return ERR_PTR(ret);
 		}
 	}