diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en/rep/bridge.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en/rep/bridge.c
index c6d2f8c78db7..d5cb27667005 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en/rep/bridge.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en/rep/bridge.c
@@ -509,7 +509,9 @@ void mlx5e_rep_bridge_init(struct mlx5e_priv *priv)
 err_register_swdev:
 	destroy_workqueue(br_offloads->wq);
 err_alloc_wq:
+	rtnl_lock();
 	mlx5_esw_bridge_cleanup(esw);
+	rtnl_unlock();
 }
 
 void mlx5e_rep_bridge_cleanup(struct mlx5e_priv *priv)
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/esw/bridge.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/esw/bridge.c
index f690f430f40f..05e08cec5a8c 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/esw/bridge.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/esw/bridge.c
@@ -1574,6 +1574,8 @@ struct mlx5_esw_bridge_offloads *mlx5_esw_bridge_init(struct mlx5_eswitch *esw)
 {
 	struct mlx5_esw_bridge_offloads *br_offloads;
 
+	ASSERT_RTNL();
+
 	br_offloads = kvzalloc(sizeof(*br_offloads), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!br_offloads)
 		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
@@ -1590,6 +1592,8 @@ void mlx5_esw_bridge_cleanup(struct mlx5_eswitch *esw)
 {
 	struct mlx5_esw_bridge_offloads *br_offloads = esw->br_offloads;
 
+	ASSERT_RTNL();
+
 	if (!br_offloads)
 		return;