diff --git a/drivers/block/loop.c b/drivers/block/loop.c
index 49e6a545eb63..dbf31ec9114d 100644
--- a/drivers/block/loop.c
+++ b/drivers/block/loop.c
@@ -78,7 +78,6 @@
 
 #include <asm/uaccess.h>
 
-static DEFINE_MUTEX(loop_mutex);
 static LIST_HEAD(loop_devices);
 static DEFINE_MUTEX(loop_devices_mutex);
 
@@ -1501,11 +1500,9 @@ static int lo_open(struct block_device *bdev, fmode_t mode)
 {
 	struct loop_device *lo = bdev->bd_disk->private_data;
 
-	mutex_lock(&loop_mutex);
 	mutex_lock(&lo->lo_ctl_mutex);
 	lo->lo_refcnt++;
 	mutex_unlock(&lo->lo_ctl_mutex);
-	mutex_unlock(&loop_mutex);
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -1515,7 +1512,6 @@ static int lo_release(struct gendisk *disk, fmode_t mode)
 	struct loop_device *lo = disk->private_data;
 	int err;
 
-	mutex_lock(&loop_mutex);
 	mutex_lock(&lo->lo_ctl_mutex);
 
 	if (--lo->lo_refcnt)
@@ -1540,7 +1536,6 @@ static int lo_release(struct gendisk *disk, fmode_t mode)
 out:
 	mutex_unlock(&lo->lo_ctl_mutex);
 out_unlocked:
-	mutex_unlock(&loop_mutex);
 	return 0;
 }