diff --git a/drivers/net/dsa/qca/qca8k-8xxx.c b/drivers/net/dsa/qca/qca8k-8xxx.c
index 234d79a09e78..3e60bbe2570d 100644
--- a/drivers/net/dsa/qca/qca8k-8xxx.c
+++ b/drivers/net/dsa/qca/qca8k-8xxx.c
@@ -238,15 +238,6 @@ static int qca8k_read_eth(struct qca8k_priv *priv, u32 reg, u32 *val, int len)
 	if (!skb)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
-	mutex_lock(&mgmt_eth_data->mutex);
-
-	/* Check mgmt_master if is operational */
-	if (!priv->mgmt_master) {
-		kfree_skb(skb);
-		mutex_unlock(&mgmt_eth_data->mutex);
-		return -EINVAL;
-	}
-
 	skb->dev = priv->mgmt_master;
 
 	ret = dsa_inband_request(&mgmt_eth_data->inband, skb,
@@ -258,8 +249,6 @@ static int qca8k_read_eth(struct qca8k_priv *priv, u32 reg, u32 *val, int len)
 	if (len > QCA_HDR_MGMT_DATA1_LEN)
 		memcpy(val + 1, &data[1], len - QCA_HDR_MGMT_DATA1_LEN);
 
-	mutex_unlock(&mgmt_eth_data->mutex);
-
 	return ret;
 }
 
@@ -267,32 +256,18 @@ static int qca8k_write_eth(struct qca8k_priv *priv, u32 reg, u32 *val, int len)
 {
 	struct qca8k_mgmt_eth_data *mgmt_eth_data = &priv->mgmt_eth_data;
 	struct sk_buff *skb;
-	int ret;
 
 	skb = qca8k_alloc_mdio_header(MDIO_WRITE, reg, val,
 				      QCA8K_ETHERNET_MDIO_PRIORITY, len);
 	if (!skb)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
-	mutex_lock(&mgmt_eth_data->mutex);
-
-	/* Check mgmt_master if is operational */
-	if (!priv->mgmt_master) {
-		kfree_skb(skb);
-		mutex_unlock(&mgmt_eth_data->mutex);
-		return -EINVAL;
-	}
-
 	skb->dev = priv->mgmt_master;
 
-	ret = dsa_inband_request(&mgmt_eth_data->inband, skb,
-				 qca8k_mdio_header_fill_seq_num,
-				 NULL, 0,
-				 QCA8K_ETHERNET_TIMEOUT);
-
-	mutex_unlock(&mgmt_eth_data->mutex);
-
-	return ret;
+	return dsa_inband_request(&mgmt_eth_data->inband, skb,
+				  qca8k_mdio_header_fill_seq_num,
+				  NULL, 0,
+				  QCA8K_ETHERNET_TIMEOUT);
 }
 
 static int
@@ -438,7 +413,6 @@ qca8k_phy_eth_command(struct qca8k_priv *priv, bool read, int phy,
 	struct sk_buff *write_skb, *clear_skb, *read_skb;
 	struct qca8k_mgmt_eth_data *mgmt_eth_data;
 	u32 write_val, clear_val = 0, val;
-	struct net_device *mgmt_master;
 	u32 resp_data[4];
 	int ret, ret1;
 
@@ -484,19 +458,9 @@ qca8k_phy_eth_command(struct qca8k_priv *priv, bool read, int phy,
 	 * 3. Get the data if we are reading
 	 * 4. Reset the mdio master (even with error)
 	 */
-	mutex_lock(&mgmt_eth_data->mutex);
-
-	/* Check if mgmt_master is operational */
-	mgmt_master = priv->mgmt_master;
-	if (!mgmt_master) {
-		mutex_unlock(&mgmt_eth_data->mutex);
-		ret = -EINVAL;
-		goto err_mgmt_master;
-	}
-
-	read_skb->dev = mgmt_master;
-	clear_skb->dev = mgmt_master;
-	write_skb->dev = mgmt_master;
+	read_skb->dev = priv->mgmt_master;
+	clear_skb->dev = priv->mgmt_master;
+	write_skb->dev = priv->mgmt_master;
 
 	ret = dsa_inband_request(&mgmt_eth_data->inband, write_skb,
 				 qca8k_mdio_header_fill_seq_num,
@@ -533,18 +497,11 @@ qca8k_phy_eth_command(struct qca8k_priv *priv, bool read, int phy,
 	}
 exit:
 
-	ret = dsa_inband_request(&mgmt_eth_data->inband, clear_skb,
-				 qca8k_mdio_header_fill_seq_num,
-				 NULL, 0,
-				 QCA8K_ETHERNET_TIMEOUT);
-
-	mutex_unlock(&mgmt_eth_data->mutex);
-
-	return ret;
+	return dsa_inband_request(&mgmt_eth_data->inband, clear_skb,
+				  qca8k_mdio_header_fill_seq_num,
+				  NULL, 0,
+				  QCA8K_ETHERNET_TIMEOUT);
 
-	/* Error handling before lock */
-err_mgmt_master:
-	kfree_skb(read_skb);
 err_read_skb:
 	kfree_skb(clear_skb);
 err_clear_skb:
@@ -1526,13 +1483,11 @@ qca8k_master_change(struct dsa_switch *ds, const struct net_device *master,
 	if (dp->index != 0)
 		return;
 
-	mutex_lock(&priv->mgmt_eth_data.mutex);
 	mutex_lock(&priv->mib_eth_data.mutex);
 
 	priv->mgmt_master = operational ? (struct net_device *)master : NULL;
 
 	mutex_unlock(&priv->mib_eth_data.mutex);
-	mutex_unlock(&priv->mgmt_eth_data.mutex);
 }
 
 static int qca8k_connect_tag_protocol(struct dsa_switch *ds,
@@ -1850,7 +1805,6 @@ qca8k_sw_probe(struct mdio_device *mdiodev)
 	if (!priv->ds)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
-	mutex_init(&priv->mgmt_eth_data.mutex);
 	dsa_inband_init(&priv->mgmt_eth_data.inband, U32_MAX);
 
 	mutex_init(&priv->mib_eth_data.mutex);
diff --git a/drivers/net/dsa/qca/qca8k.h b/drivers/net/dsa/qca/qca8k.h
index 70494096e251..6da36ed6486b 100644
--- a/drivers/net/dsa/qca/qca8k.h
+++ b/drivers/net/dsa/qca/qca8k.h
@@ -347,7 +347,6 @@ enum {
 
 struct qca8k_mgmt_eth_data {
 	struct dsa_inband inband;
-	struct mutex mutex; /* Enforce one mdio read/write at time */
 };
 
 struct qca8k_mib_eth_data {
diff --git a/include/net/dsa.h b/include/net/dsa.h
index dad9e31d36ce..7a545b781e7d 100644
--- a/include/net/dsa.h
+++ b/include/net/dsa.h
@@ -1281,6 +1281,7 @@ bool dsa_mdb_present_in_other_db(struct dsa_switch *ds, int port,
  * frames and expecting a response in a frame.
 */
 struct dsa_inband {
+	struct mutex lock; /* Serialise operations */
 	struct completion completion;
 	u32 seqno;
 	u32 seqno_mask;
diff --git a/net/dsa/dsa.c b/net/dsa/dsa.c
index 4fa0ab4ae58e..82c729d631eb 100644
--- a/net/dsa/dsa.c
+++ b/net/dsa/dsa.c
@@ -521,6 +521,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(dsa_mdb_present_in_other_db);
 void dsa_inband_init(struct dsa_inband *inband, u32 seqno_mask)
 {
 	init_completion(&inband->completion);
+	mutex_init(&inband->lock);
 	mutex_init(&inband->resp_lock);
 	inband->seqno_mask = seqno_mask;
 	inband->seqno = 0;
@@ -567,6 +568,11 @@ int dsa_inband_request(struct dsa_inband *inband, struct sk_buff *skb,
 	reinit_completion(&inband->completion);
 	inband->err = 0;
 
+	if (!skb->dev)
+		return -EOPNOTSUPP;
+
+	mutex_lock(&inband->lock);
+
 	mutex_lock(&inband->resp_lock);
 	inband->resp = resp;
 	inband->resp_len = resp_len;
@@ -585,6 +591,7 @@ int dsa_inband_request(struct dsa_inband *inband, struct sk_buff *skb,
 	inband->resp = NULL;
 	inband->resp_len = 0;
 	mutex_unlock(&inband->resp_lock);
+	mutex_unlock(&inband->lock);
 
 	if (ret < 0)
 		return ret;
