diff --git a/sound/core/timer.c b/sound/core/timer.c
index 1902ec0d4487bd..5e7c62ae6a3d94 100644
--- a/sound/core/timer.c
+++ b/sound/core/timer.c
@@ -1932,19 +1932,23 @@ static ssize_t snd_timer_user_read(struct file *file, char __user *buffer,
 		if (err < 0)
 			goto _error;
 
+		mutex_lock(&tu->ioctl_lock);
 		if (tu->tread) {
 			if (copy_to_user(buffer, &tu->tqueue[tu->qhead++],
 					 sizeof(struct snd_timer_tread))) {
+				mutex_unlock(&tu->ioctl_lock);
 				err = -EFAULT;
 				goto _error;
 			}
 		} else {
 			if (copy_to_user(buffer, &tu->queue[tu->qhead++],
 					 sizeof(struct snd_timer_read))) {
+				mutex_unlock(&tu->ioctl_lock);
 				err = -EFAULT;
 				goto _error;
 			}
 		}
+		mutex_unlock(&tu->ioctl_lock);
 
 		tu->qhead %= tu->queue_size;