diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/hostap/hostap_cs.c b/drivers/net/wireless/hostap/hostap_cs.c
index b4ff1dc1d72d..6992f8ff2294 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/hostap/hostap_cs.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/hostap/hostap_cs.c
@@ -661,12 +661,6 @@ static int prism2_config(struct pcmcia_device *link)
 	strcpy(hw_priv->node.dev_name, dev->name);
 	link->dev_node = &hw_priv->node;
 
-	/*
-	 * Make sure the IRQ handler cannot proceed until at least
-	 * dev->base_addr is initialized.
-	 */
-	spin_lock_irqsave(&local->irq_init_lock, flags);
-
 	/*
 	 * Allocate an interrupt line.  Note that this does not assign a
 	 * handler to the interrupt, unless the 'Handler' member of the
@@ -690,9 +684,10 @@ static int prism2_config(struct pcmcia_device *link)
 	CS_CHECK(RequestConfiguration,
 		 pcmcia_request_configuration(link, &link->conf));
 
+	/* IRQ handler cannot proceed until at dev->base_addr is initialized */
+	spin_lock_irqsave(&local->irq_init_lock, flags);
 	dev->irq = link->irq.AssignedIRQ;
 	dev->base_addr = link->io.BasePort1;
-
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&local->irq_init_lock, flags);
 
 	/* Finally, report what we've done */
@@ -724,7 +719,6 @@ static int prism2_config(struct pcmcia_device *link)
 	return ret;
 
  cs_failed:
-	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&local->irq_init_lock, flags);
 	cs_error(link, last_fn, last_ret);
 
  failed: