diff --git a/net/batman-adv/soft-interface.c b/net/batman-adv/soft-interface.c
index 1485263a348b..626ddca332db 100644
--- a/net/batman-adv/soft-interface.c
+++ b/net/batman-adv/soft-interface.c
@@ -574,15 +574,20 @@ int batadv_softif_create_vlan(struct batadv_priv *bat_priv, unsigned short vid)
 	struct batadv_softif_vlan *vlan;
 	int err;
 
+	spin_lock_bh(&bat_priv->softif_vlan_list_lock);
+
 	vlan = batadv_softif_vlan_get(bat_priv, vid);
 	if (vlan) {
 		batadv_softif_vlan_put(vlan);
+		spin_unlock_bh(&bat_priv->softif_vlan_list_lock);
 		return -EEXIST;
 	}
 
 	vlan = kzalloc(sizeof(*vlan), GFP_ATOMIC);
-	if (!vlan)
+	if (!vlan) {
+		spin_unlock_bh(&bat_priv->softif_vlan_list_lock);
 		return -ENOMEM;
+	}
 
 	vlan->bat_priv = bat_priv;
 	vlan->vid = vid;
@@ -590,17 +595,23 @@ int batadv_softif_create_vlan(struct batadv_priv *bat_priv, unsigned short vid)
 
 	atomic_set(&vlan->ap_isolation, 0);
 
-	err = batadv_sysfs_add_vlan(bat_priv->soft_iface, vlan);
-	if (err) {
-		kfree(vlan);
-		return err;
-	}
-
-	spin_lock_bh(&bat_priv->softif_vlan_list_lock);
 	kref_get(&vlan->refcount);
 	hlist_add_head_rcu(&vlan->list, &bat_priv->softif_vlan_list);
 	spin_unlock_bh(&bat_priv->softif_vlan_list_lock);
 
+	/* batadv_sysfs_add_vlan cannot be in the spinlock section due to the
+	 * sleeping behavior of the sysfs functions and the fs_reclaim lock
+	 */
+	err = batadv_sysfs_add_vlan(bat_priv->soft_iface, vlan);
+	if (err) {
+		/* ref for the function */
+		batadv_softif_vlan_put(vlan);
+
+		/* ref for the list */
+		batadv_softif_vlan_put(vlan);
+		return err;
+	}
+
 	/* add a new TT local entry. This one will be marked with the NOPURGE
 	 * flag
 	 */