diff --git a/src/conf/nwfilter_conf.c b/src/conf/nwfilter_conf.c
index 3f69c1d9a7..40516c7619 100644
--- a/src/conf/nwfilter_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/nwfilter_conf.c
@@ -2394,15 +2394,13 @@ virNWFilterTestUnassignDef(virConnectPtr conn,
 {
     int rc = 0;
 
-    virNWFilterLockFilterUpdates();
-
     nwfilter->wantRemoved = 1;
     /* trigger the update on VMs referencing the filter */
     if (virNWFilterTriggerVMFilterRebuild(conn))
         rc = 1;
 
     nwfilter->wantRemoved = 0;
-    virNWFilterUnlockFilterUpdates();
+
     return rc;
 }
 
@@ -2434,8 +2432,9 @@ virNWFilterObjAssignDef(virConnectPtr conn,
         return NULL;
     }
 
+    virNWFilterLockFilterUpdates();
+
     if ((nwfilter = virNWFilterObjFindByName(nwfilters, def->name))) {
-        virNWFilterLockFilterUpdates();
         nwfilter->newDef = def;
         /* trigger the update on VMs referencing the filter */
         if (virNWFilterTriggerVMFilterRebuild(conn)) {
@@ -2452,6 +2451,8 @@ virNWFilterObjAssignDef(virConnectPtr conn,
         return nwfilter;
     }
 
+    virNWFilterUnlockFilterUpdates();
+
     if (VIR_ALLOC(nwfilter) < 0) {
         virReportOOMError();
         return NULL;
diff --git a/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_driver.c b/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_driver.c
index d9ac17e86d..44327ae1a2 100644
--- a/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_driver.c
+++ b/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_driver.c
@@ -372,6 +372,8 @@ nwfilterUndefine(virNWFilterPtr obj) {
     nwfilterDriverLock(driver);
     virNWFilterCallbackDriversLock();
 
+    virNWFilterLockFilterUpdates();
+
     nwfilter = virNWFilterObjFindByUUID(&driver->nwfilters, obj->uuid);
     if (!nwfilter) {
         virNWFilterReportError(VIR_ERR_NO_NWFILTER,
@@ -399,6 +401,8 @@ cleanup:
     if (nwfilter)
         virNWFilterObjUnlock(nwfilter);
 
+    virNWFilterUnlockFilterUpdates();
+
     virNWFilterCallbackDriversUnlock();
     nwfilterDriverUnlock(driver);
     return ret;