diff --git a/drivers/nvme/host/core.c b/drivers/nvme/host/core.c
index 1a51584..d5fb55c 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/host/core.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/host/core.c
@@ -1394,19 +1394,22 @@
 	return nsa->ns_id - nsb->ns_id;
 }
 
-static struct nvme_ns *nvme_find_ns(struct nvme_ctrl *ctrl, unsigned nsid)
+static struct nvme_ns *nvme_find_get_ns(struct nvme_ctrl *ctrl, unsigned nsid)
 {
-	struct nvme_ns *ns;
+	struct nvme_ns *ns, *ret = NULL;
 
-	lockdep_assert_held(&ctrl->namespaces_mutex);
-
+	mutex_lock(&ctrl->namespaces_mutex);
 	list_for_each_entry(ns, &ctrl->namespaces, list) {
-		if (ns->ns_id == nsid)
-			return ns;
+		if (ns->ns_id == nsid) {
+			kref_get(&ns->kref);
+			ret = ns;
+			break;
+		}
 		if (ns->ns_id > nsid)
 			break;
 	}
-	return NULL;
+	mutex_unlock(&ctrl->namespaces_mutex);
+	return ret;
 }
 
 static void nvme_alloc_ns(struct nvme_ctrl *ctrl, unsigned nsid)
@@ -1415,8 +1418,6 @@
 	struct gendisk *disk;
 	int node = dev_to_node(ctrl->dev);
 
-	lockdep_assert_held(&ctrl->namespaces_mutex);
-
 	ns = kzalloc_node(sizeof(*ns), GFP_KERNEL, node);
 	if (!ns)
 		return;
@@ -1457,7 +1458,10 @@
 	if (nvme_revalidate_disk(ns->disk))
 		goto out_free_disk;
 
-	list_add_tail_rcu(&ns->list, &ctrl->namespaces);
+	mutex_lock(&ctrl->namespaces_mutex);
+	list_add_tail(&ns->list, &ctrl->namespaces);
+	mutex_unlock(&ctrl->namespaces_mutex);
+
 	kref_get(&ctrl->kref);
 	if (ns->type == NVME_NS_LIGHTNVM)
 		return;
@@ -1480,8 +1484,6 @@
 
 static void nvme_ns_remove(struct nvme_ns *ns)
 {
-	lockdep_assert_held(&ns->ctrl->namespaces_mutex);
-
 	if (test_and_set_bit(NVME_NS_REMOVING, &ns->flags))
 		return;
 
@@ -1494,8 +1496,11 @@
 		blk_mq_abort_requeue_list(ns->queue);
 		blk_cleanup_queue(ns->queue);
 	}
+
+	mutex_lock(&ns->ctrl->namespaces_mutex);
 	list_del_init(&ns->list);
-	synchronize_rcu();
+	mutex_unlock(&ns->ctrl->namespaces_mutex);
+
 	nvme_put_ns(ns);
 }
 
@@ -1503,10 +1508,11 @@
 {
 	struct nvme_ns *ns;
 
-	ns = nvme_find_ns(ctrl, nsid);
+	ns = nvme_find_get_ns(ctrl, nsid);
 	if (ns) {
 		if (revalidate_disk(ns->disk))
 			nvme_ns_remove(ns);
+		nvme_put_ns(ns);
 	} else
 		nvme_alloc_ns(ctrl, nsid);
 }
@@ -1535,9 +1541,11 @@
 			nvme_validate_ns(ctrl, nsid);
 
 			while (++prev < nsid) {
-				ns = nvme_find_ns(ctrl, prev);
-				if (ns)
+				ns = nvme_find_get_ns(ctrl, prev);
+				if (ns) {
 					nvme_ns_remove(ns);
+					nvme_put_ns(ns);
+				}
 			}
 		}
 		nn -= j;
@@ -1552,8 +1560,6 @@
 	struct nvme_ns *ns, *next;
 	unsigned i;
 
-	lockdep_assert_held(&ctrl->namespaces_mutex);
-
 	for (i = 1; i <= nn; i++)
 		nvme_validate_ns(ctrl, i);
 
@@ -1576,7 +1582,6 @@
 	if (nvme_identify_ctrl(ctrl, &id))
 		return;
 
-	mutex_lock(&ctrl->namespaces_mutex);
 	nn = le32_to_cpu(id->nn);
 	if (ctrl->vs >= NVME_VS(1, 1) &&
 	    !(ctrl->quirks & NVME_QUIRK_IDENTIFY_CNS)) {
@@ -1585,6 +1590,7 @@
 	}
 	nvme_scan_ns_sequential(ctrl, nn);
  done:
+	mutex_lock(&ctrl->namespaces_mutex);
 	list_sort(NULL, &ctrl->namespaces, ns_cmp);
 	mutex_unlock(&ctrl->namespaces_mutex);
 	kfree(id);
@@ -1604,6 +1610,11 @@
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(nvme_queue_scan);
 
+/*
+ * This function iterates the namespace list unlocked to allow recovery from
+ * controller failure. It is up to the caller to ensure the namespace list is
+ * not modified by scan work while this function is executing.
+ */
 void nvme_remove_namespaces(struct nvme_ctrl *ctrl)
 {
 	struct nvme_ns *ns, *next;
@@ -1617,10 +1628,8 @@
 	if (ctrl->state == NVME_CTRL_DEAD)
 		nvme_kill_queues(ctrl);
 
-	mutex_lock(&ctrl->namespaces_mutex);
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(ns, next, &ctrl->namespaces, list)
 		nvme_ns_remove(ns);
-	mutex_unlock(&ctrl->namespaces_mutex);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(nvme_remove_namespaces);
 
@@ -1791,11 +1800,8 @@
 {
 	struct nvme_ns *ns;
 
-	rcu_read_lock();
-	list_for_each_entry_rcu(ns, &ctrl->namespaces, list) {
-		if (!kref_get_unless_zero(&ns->kref))
-			continue;
-
+	mutex_lock(&ctrl->namespaces_mutex);
+	list_for_each_entry(ns, &ctrl->namespaces, list) {
 		/*
 		 * Revalidating a dead namespace sets capacity to 0. This will
 		 * end buffered writers dirtying pages that can't be synced.
@@ -1806,10 +1812,8 @@
 		blk_set_queue_dying(ns->queue);
 		blk_mq_abort_requeue_list(ns->queue);
 		blk_mq_start_stopped_hw_queues(ns->queue, true);
-
-		nvme_put_ns(ns);
 	}
-	rcu_read_unlock();
+	mutex_unlock(&ctrl->namespaces_mutex);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(nvme_kill_queues);
 
@@ -1817,8 +1821,8 @@
 {
 	struct nvme_ns *ns;
 
-	rcu_read_lock();
-	list_for_each_entry_rcu(ns, &ctrl->namespaces, list) {
+	mutex_lock(&ctrl->namespaces_mutex);
+	list_for_each_entry(ns, &ctrl->namespaces, list) {
 		spin_lock_irq(ns->queue->queue_lock);
 		queue_flag_set(QUEUE_FLAG_STOPPED, ns->queue);
 		spin_unlock_irq(ns->queue->queue_lock);
@@ -1826,7 +1830,7 @@
 		blk_mq_cancel_requeue_work(ns->queue);
 		blk_mq_stop_hw_queues(ns->queue);
 	}
-	rcu_read_unlock();
+	mutex_unlock(&ctrl->namespaces_mutex);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(nvme_stop_queues);
 
@@ -1834,13 +1838,13 @@
 {
 	struct nvme_ns *ns;
 
-	rcu_read_lock();
-	list_for_each_entry_rcu(ns, &ctrl->namespaces, list) {
+	mutex_lock(&ctrl->namespaces_mutex);
+	list_for_each_entry(ns, &ctrl->namespaces, list) {
 		queue_flag_clear_unlocked(QUEUE_FLAG_STOPPED, ns->queue);
 		blk_mq_start_stopped_hw_queues(ns->queue, true);
 		blk_mq_kick_requeue_list(ns->queue);
 	}
-	rcu_read_unlock();
+	mutex_unlock(&ctrl->namespaces_mutex);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(nvme_start_queues);