diff --git a/kernel/posix-timers.c b/kernel/posix-timers.c
index 55b3761edaa9..6923ad8a5983 100644
--- a/kernel/posix-timers.c
+++ b/kernel/posix-timers.c
@@ -605,13 +605,14 @@ static struct k_itimer * lock_timer(timer_t timer_id, unsigned long *flags)
 	timr = (struct k_itimer *) idr_find(&posix_timers_id, (int) timer_id);
 	if (timr) {
 		spin_lock(&timr->it_lock);
-		spin_unlock(&idr_lock);
 
 		if ((timr->it_id != timer_id) || !(timr->it_process) ||
 				timr->it_process->tgid != current->tgid) {
-			unlock_timer(timr, *flags);
+			spin_unlock(&timr->it_lock);
+			spin_unlock_irqrestore(&idr_lock, *flags);
 			timr = NULL;
-		}
+		} else
+			spin_unlock(&idr_lock);
 	} else
 		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&idr_lock, *flags);