diff --git a/drivers/usb/gadget/udc/core.c b/drivers/usb/gadget/udc/core.c
index 0e7820158aaa..e41f67cd3d46 100644
--- a/drivers/usb/gadget/udc/core.c
+++ b/drivers/usb/gadget/udc/core.c
@@ -1477,10 +1477,13 @@ static ssize_t soft_connect_store(struct device *dev,
 		struct device_attribute *attr, const char *buf, size_t n)
 {
 	struct usb_udc		*udc = container_of(dev, struct usb_udc, dev);
+	ssize_t			ret;
 
+	mutex_lock(&udc_lock);
 	if (!udc->driver) {
 		dev_err(dev, "soft-connect without a gadget driver\n");
-		return -EOPNOTSUPP;
+		ret = -EOPNOTSUPP;
+		goto out;
 	}
 
 	if (sysfs_streq(buf, "connect")) {
@@ -1491,10 +1494,14 @@ static ssize_t soft_connect_store(struct device *dev,
 		usb_gadget_udc_stop(udc);
 	} else {
 		dev_err(dev, "unsupported command '%s'\n", buf);
-		return -EINVAL;
+		ret = -EINVAL;
+		goto out;
 	}
 
-	return n;
+	ret = n;
+out:
+	mutex_unlock(&udc_lock);
+	return ret;
 }
 static DEVICE_ATTR_WO(soft_connect);