--- x/fs/exfat/dir.c
+++ y/fs/exfat/dir.c
@@ -229,11 +229,10 @@ static int exfat_iterate(struct file *fi
 	int err = 0, fake_offset = 0;
 
 	exfat_init_namebuf(nb);
-	mutex_lock(&EXFAT_SB(sb)->s_lock);
 
 	cpos = ctx->pos;
 	if (!dir_emit_dots(file, ctx))
-		goto unlock;
+		goto out_unlocked;
 
 	if (ctx->pos == ITER_POS_FILLED_DOTS) {
 		cpos = 0;
@@ -245,7 +244,8 @@ static int exfat_iterate(struct file *fi
 	/* name buffer should be allocated before use */
 	err = exfat_alloc_namebuf(nb);
 	if (err)
-		goto unlock;
+		goto out_unlocked;
+	mutex_lock(&EXFAT_SB(sb)->s_lock);
 get_new:
 	if (ei->flags == ALLOC_NO_FAT_CHAIN && cpos >= i_size_read(inode))
 		goto end_of_dir;
@@ -294,7 +294,6 @@ end_of_dir:
 	if (!cpos && fake_offset)
 		cpos = ITER_POS_FILLED_DOTS;
 	ctx->pos = cpos;
-unlock:
 	mutex_unlock(&EXFAT_SB(sb)->s_lock);
 out_unlocked:
 	/*