diff --git a/net/smc/af_smc.c b/net/smc/af_smc.c
index b5db69073e20..00403175b740 100644
--- a/net/smc/af_smc.c
+++ b/net/smc/af_smc.c
@@ -1931,11 +1931,12 @@ static void smc_listen_out(struct smc_sock *new_smc)
 		atomic_dec(&lsmc->queued_smc_hs);
 
 	release_sock(newsmcsk); /* lock in smc_listen_work() */
+	lock_sock_nested(&lsmc->sk, SINGLE_DEPTH_NESTING);
 	if (lsmc->sk.sk_state == SMC_LISTEN) {
-		lock_sock_nested(&lsmc->sk, SINGLE_DEPTH_NESTING);
 		smc_accept_enqueue(&lsmc->sk, newsmcsk);
 		release_sock(&lsmc->sk);
 	} else { /* no longer listening */
+		release_sock(&lsmc->sk);
 		smc_close_non_accepted(newsmcsk);
 	}