diff --git a/drivers/vhost/scsi.c b/drivers/vhost/scsi.c
index 7c521406d5ca..1a0b75cc4cef 100644
--- a/drivers/vhost/scsi.c
+++ b/drivers/vhost/scsi.c
@@ -660,19 +660,26 @@ vhost_scsi_do_evt_work(struct vhost_scsi *vs, struct vhost_scsi_evt *evt)
 	vhost_scsi_log_write(vq, vq_log, log_num);
 }
 
-static void vhost_scsi_complete_events(struct vhost_scsi *vs, bool drop)
+/* Caller must hold the event virtqueue mutex. */
+static void __vhost_scsi_complete_events(struct vhost_scsi *vs, bool drop)
 {
-	struct vhost_virtqueue *vq = &vs->vqs[VHOST_SCSI_VQ_EVT].vq;
 	struct vhost_scsi_evt *evt, *t;
 	struct llist_node *llnode;
 
-	mutex_lock(&vq->mutex);
 	llnode = llist_reverse_order(llist_del_all(&vs->vs_event_list));
 	llist_for_each_entry_safe(evt, t, llnode, list) {
 		if (!drop)
 			vhost_scsi_do_evt_work(vs, evt);
 		vhost_scsi_free_evt(vs, evt);
 	}
+}
+
+static void vhost_scsi_complete_events(struct vhost_scsi *vs, bool drop)
+{
+	struct vhost_virtqueue *vq = &vs->vqs[VHOST_SCSI_VQ_EVT].vq;
+
+	mutex_lock(&vq->mutex);
+	__vhost_scsi_complete_events(vs, drop);
 	mutex_unlock(&vq->mutex);
 }
 
@@ -1859,7 +1866,7 @@ vhost_scsi_send_evt(struct vhost_scsi *vs, struct vhost_virtqueue *vq,
 
 	llist_add(&evt->list, &vs->vs_event_list);
 	if (!vhost_vq_work_queue(vq, &vs->vs_event_work))
-		vhost_scsi_complete_events(vs, true);
+		__vhost_scsi_complete_events(vs, true);
 }
 
 static void vhost_scsi_evt_handle_kick(struct vhost_work *work)