diff --git a/drivers/gpio/gpio-grgpio.c b/drivers/gpio/gpio-grgpio.c
index 08234e6..3224933 100644
--- a/drivers/gpio/gpio-grgpio.c
+++ b/drivers/gpio/gpio-grgpio.c
@@ -253,17 +253,16 @@
 	lirq->irq = irq;
 	uirq = &priv->uirqs[lirq->index];
 	if (uirq->refcnt == 0) {
+		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&priv->gc.bgpio_lock, flags);
 		ret = request_irq(uirq->uirq, grgpio_irq_handler, 0,
 				  dev_name(priv->dev), priv);
 		if (ret) {
 			dev_err(priv->dev,
 				"Could not request underlying irq %d\n",
 				uirq->uirq);
-
-			spin_unlock_irqrestore(&priv->gc.bgpio_lock, flags);
-
 			return ret;
 		}
+		spin_lock_irqsave(&priv->gc.bgpio_lock, flags);
 	}
 	uirq->refcnt++;
 
@@ -309,8 +308,11 @@
 	if (index >= 0) {
 		uirq = &priv->uirqs[lirq->index];
 		uirq->refcnt--;
-		if (uirq->refcnt == 0)
+		if (uirq->refcnt == 0) {
+			spin_unlock_irqrestore(&priv->gc.bgpio_lock, flags);
 			free_irq(uirq->uirq, priv);
+			return;
+		}
 	}
 
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&priv->gc.bgpio_lock, flags);