diff --git a/fs/f2fs/gc.c b/fs/f2fs/gc.c
index 6066c6eecf41..228cad05b32b 100644
--- a/fs/f2fs/gc.c
+++ b/fs/f2fs/gc.c
@@ -203,14 +203,20 @@ int f2fs_start_gc_thread(struct f2fs_sb_info *sbi)
 
 void f2fs_stop_gc_thread(struct f2fs_sb_info *sbi)
 {
-	struct f2fs_gc_kthread *gc_th = sbi->gc_thread;
+	struct f2fs_gc_kthread *gc_th;
+	static DEFINE_MUTEX(gct_mutex);
 
+	mutex_lock(&gct_mutex);
+	gc_th = sbi->gc_thread;
 	if (!gc_th)
-		return;
+		goto unlock;
+
 	kthread_stop(gc_th->f2fs_gc_task);
 	wake_up_all(&gc_th->fggc_wq);
-	kfree(gc_th);
 	sbi->gc_thread = NULL;
+	kfree(gc_th);
+unlock:
+	mutex_unlock(&gct_mutex);
 }
 
 static int select_gc_type(struct f2fs_sb_info *sbi, int gc_type)