diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/dsi/dsi_host.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/dsi/dsi_host.c
index 62ac614eccf94611a31ff2f61f7c6f20e3ede73f..7a03a94897088a474aa966ea86f778e5dde238e9 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/dsi/dsi_host.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/dsi/dsi_host.c
@@ -1063,10 +1063,8 @@ static void dsi_tx_buf_free(struct msm_dsi_host *msm_host)
 
 	if (msm_host->tx_gem_obj) {
 		msm_gem_put_iova(msm_host->tx_gem_obj, 0);
-		mutex_lock(&dev->struct_mutex);
-		msm_gem_free_object(msm_host->tx_gem_obj);
+		drm_gem_object_put_unlocked(msm_host->tx_gem_obj);
 		msm_host->tx_gem_obj = NULL;
-		mutex_unlock(&dev->struct_mutex);
 	}
 
 	if (msm_host->tx_buf)
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gem.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gem.c
index 0e5073af391344f681226020e8489c7a43a9944d..95196479f651b18697229765432a0493f6b7d4ce 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gem.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gem.c
@@ -798,6 +798,7 @@ void msm_gem_describe_objects(struct list_head *list, struct seq_file *m)
 }
 #endif
 
+/* don't call directly!  Use drm_gem_object_put() and friends */
 void msm_gem_free_object(struct drm_gem_object *obj)
 {
 	struct drm_device *dev = obj->dev;