diff --git a/drivers/media/video/cx88/cx88-blackbird.c b/drivers/media/video/cx88/cx88-blackbird.c
index b93fbd39a39e50e4174047fd78203ae0ac328b96..a6f7d53a4510f914d838be94da57e849cc4d0221 100644
--- a/drivers/media/video/cx88/cx88-blackbird.c
+++ b/drivers/media/video/cx88/cx88-blackbird.c
@@ -1125,13 +1125,13 @@ static int mpeg_release(struct file *file)
 
 	/* Make sure we release the hardware */
 	drv = cx8802_get_driver(dev, CX88_MPEG_BLACKBIRD);
-	mutex_unlock(&dev->core->lock);
-
 	if (drv)
 		drv->request_release(drv);
 
 	atomic_dec(&dev->core->mpeg_users);
 
+	mutex_unlock(&dev->core->lock);
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/media/video/cx88/cx88-dvb.c b/drivers/media/video/cx88/cx88-dvb.c
index 84002bc80db5c2a7fb4e2b581bde0167181a6610..c69df7ebb6a7575f0478a34c7b41142aa83c4cc9 100644
--- a/drivers/media/video/cx88/cx88-dvb.c
+++ b/drivers/media/video/cx88/cx88-dvb.c
@@ -135,8 +135,6 @@ static int cx88_dvb_bus_ctrl(struct dvb_frontend* fe, int acquire)
 
 	mutex_lock(&dev->core->lock);
 	drv = cx8802_get_driver(dev, CX88_MPEG_DVB);
-	mutex_unlock(&dev->core->lock);
-
 	if (drv) {
 		if (acquire){
 			dev->frontends.active_fe_id = fe_id;
@@ -146,6 +144,7 @@ static int cx88_dvb_bus_ctrl(struct dvb_frontend* fe, int acquire)
 			dev->frontends.active_fe_id = 0;
 		}
 	}
+	mutex_unlock(&dev->core->lock);
 
 	return ret;
 }
diff --git a/drivers/media/video/cx88/cx88-mpeg.c b/drivers/media/video/cx88/cx88-mpeg.c
index a092c3a4c56d8a4e764bd71f5b09985ce44d6cbe..91d3d179c3c780172059fb5b4bb1248d018b5e1f 100644
--- a/drivers/media/video/cx88/cx88-mpeg.c
+++ b/drivers/media/video/cx88/cx88-mpeg.c
@@ -624,13 +624,11 @@ static int cx8802_request_acquire(struct cx8802_driver *drv)
 
 	if (drv->advise_acquire)
 	{
-		mutex_lock(&drv->core->lock);
 		core->active_ref++;
 		if (core->active_type_id == CX88_BOARD_NONE) {
 			core->active_type_id = drv->type_id;
 			drv->advise_acquire(drv);
 		}
-		mutex_unlock(&drv->core->lock);
 
 		mpeg_dbg(1,"%s() Post acquire GPIO=%x\n", __func__, cx_read(MO_GP0_IO));
 	}
@@ -643,14 +641,12 @@ static int cx8802_request_release(struct cx8802_driver *drv)
 {
 	struct cx88_core *core = drv->core;
 
-	mutex_lock(&drv->core->lock);
 	if (drv->advise_release && --core->active_ref == 0)
 	{
 		drv->advise_release(drv);
 		core->active_type_id = CX88_BOARD_NONE;
 		mpeg_dbg(1,"%s() Post release GPIO=%x\n", __func__, cx_read(MO_GP0_IO));
 	}
-	mutex_unlock(&drv->core->lock);
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/drivers/media/video/cx88/cx88.h b/drivers/media/video/cx88/cx88.h
index e3d56c2352036a4585bd3892f4a846d8bfb380ee..9731daa92a065478cb228856aae92c623649d68f 100644
--- a/drivers/media/video/cx88/cx88.h
+++ b/drivers/media/video/cx88/cx88.h
@@ -510,7 +510,8 @@ struct cx8802_driver {
 	/* Caller must _not_ hold core->lock */
 	int (*probe)(struct cx8802_driver *drv);
 
-	/* Caller must hold core->lock */
+	/* Callers to the following functions must hold core->lock */
+
 	int (*remove)(struct cx8802_driver *drv);
 
 	/* MPEG 8802 -> mini driver - Access for hardware control */