diff --git a/drivers/staging/media/lirc/lirc_imon.c b/drivers/staging/media/lirc/lirc_imon.c
index 00e00b0be275..1e650fba4a92 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/media/lirc/lirc_imon.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/media/lirc/lirc_imon.c
@@ -408,9 +408,8 @@ static ssize_t vfd_write(struct file *file, const char __user *buf,
 
 	data_buf = memdup_user(buf, n_bytes);
 	if (IS_ERR(data_buf)) {
-		retval = PTR_ERR(data_buf);
-		data_buf = NULL;
-		goto exit;
+		mutex_unlock(&context->ctx_lock);
+		return PTR_ERR(data_buf);
 	}
 
 	memcpy(context->tx.data_buf, data_buf, n_bytes);
diff --git a/drivers/staging/media/lirc/lirc_sasem.c b/drivers/staging/media/lirc/lirc_sasem.c
index 4678ae10b030..4fd810bc46de 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/media/lirc/lirc_sasem.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/media/lirc/lirc_sasem.c
@@ -384,9 +384,8 @@ static ssize_t vfd_write(struct file *file, const char __user *buf,
 
 	data_buf = memdup_user(buf, n_bytes);
 	if (IS_ERR(data_buf)) {
-		retval = PTR_ERR(data_buf);
-		data_buf = NULL;
-		goto exit;
+		mutex_unlock(&context->ctx_lock);
+		return PTR_ERR(data_buf);
 	}
 
 	memcpy(context->tx.data_buf, data_buf, n_bytes);