diff --git a/net/vmw_vsock/af_vsock.c b/net/vmw_vsock/af_vsock.c
index 39473b9e0829..66404c06bdaa 100644
--- a/net/vmw_vsock/af_vsock.c
+++ b/net/vmw_vsock/af_vsock.c
@@ -407,6 +407,8 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(vsock_enqueue_accept);
 
 static bool vsock_use_local_transport(unsigned int remote_cid)
 {
+	lockdep_assert_held(&vsock_register_mutex);
+
 	if (!transport_local)
 		return false;
 
@@ -464,6 +466,8 @@ int vsock_assign_transport(struct vsock_sock *vsk, struct vsock_sock *psk)
 
 	remote_flags = vsk->remote_addr.svm_flags;
 
+	mutex_lock(&vsock_register_mutex);
+
 	switch (sk->sk_type) {
 	case SOCK_DGRAM:
 		new_transport = transport_dgram;
@@ -479,12 +483,15 @@ int vsock_assign_transport(struct vsock_sock *vsk, struct vsock_sock *psk)
 			new_transport = transport_h2g;
 		break;
 	default:
-		return -ESOCKTNOSUPPORT;
+		ret = -ESOCKTNOSUPPORT;
+		goto err;
 	}
 
 	if (vsk->transport) {
-		if (vsk->transport == new_transport)
-			return 0;
+		if (vsk->transport == new_transport) {
+			ret = 0;
+			goto err;
+		}
 
 		/* transport->release() must be called with sock lock acquired.
 		 * This path can only be taken during vsock_connect(), where we
@@ -508,8 +515,16 @@ int vsock_assign_transport(struct vsock_sock *vsk, struct vsock_sock *psk)
 	/* We increase the module refcnt to prevent the transport unloading
 	 * while there are open sockets assigned to it.
 	 */
-	if (!new_transport || !try_module_get(new_transport->module))
-		return -ENODEV;
+	if (!new_transport || !try_module_get(new_transport->module)) {
+		ret = -ENODEV;
+		goto err;
+	}
+
+	/* It's safe to release the mutex after a successful try_module_get().
+	 * Whichever transport `new_transport` points at, it won't go away until
+	 * the last module_put() below or in vsock_deassign_transport().
+	 */
+	mutex_unlock(&vsock_register_mutex);
 
 	if (sk->sk_type == SOCK_SEQPACKET) {
 		if (!new_transport->seqpacket_allow ||
@@ -528,6 +543,9 @@ int vsock_assign_transport(struct vsock_sock *vsk, struct vsock_sock *psk)
 	vsk->transport = new_transport;
 
 	return 0;
+err:
+	mutex_unlock(&vsock_register_mutex);
+	return ret;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(vsock_assign_transport);