diff --git a/net/bridge/br_mst.c b/net/bridge/br_mst.c
index 43a300ae6bfa..1654efd3045b 100644
--- a/net/bridge/br_mst.c
+++ b/net/bridge/br_mst.c
@@ -107,21 +107,24 @@ int br_mst_set_state(struct net_bridge_port *p, u16 msti, u8 state,
 	struct net_bridge_vlan *v;
 	int err = 0;
 
-	rcu_read_lock();
-	vg = nbp_vlan_group_rcu(p);
-	if (!vg)
-		goto out;
-
 	/* MSTI 0 (CST) state changes are notified via the regular
-	 * SWITCHDEV_ATTR_ID_PORT_STP_STATE.
+	 * SWITCHDEV_ATTR_ID_PORT_STP_STATE. All other MSTIs are handled via
+	 * netlink with RTNL held
 	 */
 	if (msti) {
+		ASSERT_RTNL();
+
 		err = switchdev_port_attr_set(p->dev, &attr, extack);
 		if (err && err != -EOPNOTSUPP)
 			goto out;
+		err = 0;
 	}
 
-	err = 0;
+	rcu_read_lock();
+	vg = nbp_vlan_group_rcu(p);
+	if (!vg)
+		goto out_rcu_unlock;
+
 	list_for_each_entry_rcu(v, &vg->vlan_list, vlist) {
 		if (v->brvlan->msti != msti)
 			continue;
@@ -129,8 +132,9 @@ int br_mst_set_state(struct net_bridge_port *p, u16 msti, u8 state,
 		br_mst_vlan_set_state(vg, v, state);
 	}
 
-out:
+out_rcu_unlock:
 	rcu_read_unlock();
+out:
 	return err;
 }