diff --git a/drivers/media/media-entity.c b/drivers/media/media-entity.c
index bab592c6e785..bcd7464ab765 100644
--- a/drivers/media/media-entity.c
+++ b/drivers/media/media-entity.c
@@ -366,8 +366,8 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(media_entity_graph_walk_next);
  * Pipeline management
  */
 
-__must_check int media_entity_pipeline_start(struct media_entity *entity,
-					     struct media_pipeline *pipe)
+__must_check int __media_entity_pipeline_start(struct media_entity *entity,
+					       struct media_pipeline *pipe)
 {
 	struct media_device *mdev = entity->graph_obj.mdev;
 	struct media_entity_graph *graph = &pipe->graph;
@@ -375,8 +375,6 @@ __must_check int media_entity_pipeline_start(struct media_entity *entity,
 	struct media_link *link;
 	int ret;
 
-	mutex_lock(&mdev->graph_mutex);
-
 	if (!pipe->streaming_count++) {
 		ret = media_entity_graph_walk_init(&pipe->graph, mdev);
 		if (ret)
@@ -457,8 +455,6 @@ __must_check int media_entity_pipeline_start(struct media_entity *entity,
 		}
 	}
 
-	mutex_unlock(&mdev->graph_mutex);
-
 	return 0;
 
 error:
@@ -488,19 +484,28 @@ error_graph_walk_start:
 	if (!--pipe->streaming_count)
 		media_entity_graph_walk_cleanup(graph);
 
-	mutex_unlock(&mdev->graph_mutex);
+	return ret;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(__media_entity_pipeline_start);
 
+__must_check int media_entity_pipeline_start(struct media_entity *entity,
+					     struct media_pipeline *pipe)
+{
+	struct media_device *mdev = entity->graph_obj.mdev;
+	int ret;
+
+	mutex_lock(&mdev->graph_mutex);
+	ret = __media_entity_pipeline_start(entity, pipe);
+	mutex_unlock(&mdev->graph_mutex);
 	return ret;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(media_entity_pipeline_start);
 
-void media_entity_pipeline_stop(struct media_entity *entity)
+void __media_entity_pipeline_stop(struct media_entity *entity)
 {
-	struct media_device *mdev = entity->graph_obj.mdev;
 	struct media_entity_graph *graph = &entity->pipe->graph;
 	struct media_pipeline *pipe = entity->pipe;
 
-	mutex_lock(&mdev->graph_mutex);
 
 	WARN_ON(!pipe->streaming_count);
 	media_entity_graph_walk_start(graph, entity);
@@ -517,6 +522,15 @@ void media_entity_pipeline_stop(struct media_entity *entity)
 	if (!--pipe->streaming_count)
 		media_entity_graph_walk_cleanup(graph);
 
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(__media_entity_pipeline_stop);
+
+void media_entity_pipeline_stop(struct media_entity *entity)
+{
+	struct media_device *mdev = entity->graph_obj.mdev;
+
+	mutex_lock(&mdev->graph_mutex);
+	__media_entity_pipeline_stop(entity);
 	mutex_unlock(&mdev->graph_mutex);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(media_entity_pipeline_stop);
diff --git a/include/media/media-entity.h b/include/media/media-entity.h
index fe485d367985..d58e29d3f239 100644
--- a/include/media/media-entity.h
+++ b/include/media/media-entity.h
@@ -832,6 +832,16 @@ media_entity_graph_walk_next(struct media_entity_graph *graph);
  */
 __must_check int media_entity_pipeline_start(struct media_entity *entity,
 					     struct media_pipeline *pipe);
+/**
+ * __media_entity_pipeline_start - Mark a pipeline as streaming
+ *
+ * @entity: Starting entity
+ * @pipe: Media pipeline to be assigned to all entities in the pipeline.
+ *
+ * Note: This is the non-locking version of media_entity_pipeline_start()
+ */
+__must_check int __media_entity_pipeline_start(struct media_entity *entity,
+					       struct media_pipeline *pipe);
 
 /**
  * media_entity_pipeline_stop - Mark a pipeline as not streaming
@@ -847,6 +857,15 @@ __must_check int media_entity_pipeline_start(struct media_entity *entity,
  */
 void media_entity_pipeline_stop(struct media_entity *entity);
 
+/**
+ * __media_entity_pipeline_stop - Mark a pipeline as not streaming
+ *
+ * @entity: Starting entity
+ *
+ * Note: This is the non-locking version of media_entity_pipeline_stop()
+ */
+void __media_entity_pipeline_stop(struct media_entity *entity);
+
 /**
  * media_devnode_create() - creates and initializes a device node interface
  *