diff --git a/plugin/thread_pool/threadpool_unix.cc b/plugin/thread_pool/threadpool_unix.cc
index 707fbd54c7476e05f57399d11501d822c0b766a1..8e608c80fd0680bf3febb68479ae1e9327ee8c41 100644
--- a/plugin/thread_pool/threadpool_unix.cc
+++ b/plugin/thread_pool/threadpool_unix.cc
@@ -115,18 +115,26 @@ static void connection_abort(connection_t *connection);
 static void set_next_timeout_check(ulonglong abstime);
 static void print_pool_blocked_message(bool) noexcept;
 
+static void tp_lock_plugin_mutex() {
+  mysql_mutex_lock(&LOCK_plugin);
+}
+
+static void tp_unlock_plugin_mutex() {
+  mysql_mutex_unlock(&LOCK_plugin);
+}
+
 static void tp_inc_ref_count() {
-  lock_plugin_mutex();
+  tp_lock_plugin_mutex();
   assert(gPluginPtr != nullptr);
   gPluginPtr->ref_count++;
-  unlock_plugin_mutex();
+  tp_unlock_plugin_mutex();
 }
 
 static void tp_dec_ref_count() {
-  lock_plugin_mutex();
+  tp_lock_plugin_mutex();
   assert(gPluginPtr != nullptr);
   gPluginPtr->ref_count--;
-  unlock_plugin_mutex();
+  tp_unlock_plugin_mutex();
 }
 
 class ThreadPoolConnSet {