diff --git a/net/netfilter/xt_RATEEST.c b/net/netfilter/xt_RATEEST.c
index 498b54f..141c295 100644
--- a/net/netfilter/xt_RATEEST.c
+++ b/net/netfilter/xt_RATEEST.c
@@ -39,23 +39,31 @@
 	hlist_add_head(&est->list, &rateest_hash[h]);
 }
 
-struct xt_rateest *xt_rateest_lookup(const char *name)
+static struct xt_rateest *__xt_rateest_lookup(const char *name)
 {
 	struct xt_rateest *est;
 	unsigned int h;
 
 	h = xt_rateest_hash(name);
-	mutex_lock(&xt_rateest_mutex);
 	hlist_for_each_entry(est, &rateest_hash[h], list) {
 		if (strcmp(est->name, name) == 0) {
 			est->refcnt++;
-			mutex_unlock(&xt_rateest_mutex);
 			return est;
 		}
 	}
-	mutex_unlock(&xt_rateest_mutex);
+
 	return NULL;
 }
+
+struct xt_rateest *xt_rateest_lookup(const char *name)
+{
+	struct xt_rateest *est;
+
+	mutex_lock(&xt_rateest_mutex);
+	est = __xt_rateest_lookup(name);
+	mutex_unlock(&xt_rateest_mutex);
+	return est;
+}
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(xt_rateest_lookup);
 
 void xt_rateest_put(struct xt_rateest *est)
@@ -100,8 +108,10 @@
 
 	net_get_random_once(&jhash_rnd, sizeof(jhash_rnd));
 
-	est = xt_rateest_lookup(info->name);
+	mutex_lock(&xt_rateest_mutex);
+	est = __xt_rateest_lookup(info->name);
 	if (est) {
+		mutex_unlock(&xt_rateest_mutex);
 		/*
 		 * If estimator parameters are specified, they must match the
 		 * existing estimator.
@@ -139,11 +149,13 @@
 
 	info->est = est;
 	xt_rateest_hash_insert(est);
+	mutex_unlock(&xt_rateest_mutex);
 	return 0;
 
 err2:
 	kfree(est);
 err1:
+	mutex_unlock(&xt_rateest_mutex);
 	return ret;
 }