diff --git a/drivers/staging/erofs/unzip_vle.c b/drivers/staging/erofs/unzip_vle.c
index 4e5843e8ee35..6aa3c989dd4e 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/erofs/unzip_vle.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/erofs/unzip_vle.c
@@ -420,18 +420,23 @@ z_erofs_vle_work_register(const struct z_erofs_vle_work_finder *f,
 	work = z_erofs_vle_grab_primary_work(grp);
 	work->pageofs = f->pageofs;
 
+	/*
+	 * lock all primary followed works before visible to others
+	 * and mutex_trylock *never* fails for a new workgroup.
+	 */
+	mutex_trylock(&work->lock);
+
 	if (gnew) {
 		int err = erofs_register_workgroup(f->sb, &grp->obj, 0);
 
 		if (err) {
+			mutex_unlock(&work->lock);
 			kmem_cache_free(z_erofs_workgroup_cachep, grp);
 			return ERR_PTR(-EAGAIN);
 		}
 	}
 
 	*f->owned_head = *f->grp_ret = grp;
-
-	mutex_lock(&work->lock);
 	return work;
 }