spinlock_t *lock; /* Used to lock list selected by "int in_coding" */
        struct list_head *list;
 
+       /* Select ingoing or outgoing coding node */
+       if (in_coding) {
+               lock = &orig_neigh_node->in_coding_list_lock;
+               list = &orig_neigh_node->in_coding_list;
+       } else {
+               lock = &orig_neigh_node->out_coding_list_lock;
+               list = &orig_neigh_node->out_coding_list;
+       }
+
+       spin_lock_bh(lock);
+
        /* Check if nc_node is already added */
        nc_node = batadv_nc_find_nc_node(orig_node, orig_neigh_node, in_coding);
 
        /* Node found */
        if (nc_node)
-               return nc_node;
+               goto unlock;
 
        nc_node = kzalloc(sizeof(*nc_node), GFP_ATOMIC);
        if (!nc_node)
-               return NULL;
+               goto unlock;
 
        /* Initialize nc_node */
        INIT_LIST_HEAD(&nc_node->list);
        kref_get(&orig_neigh_node->refcount);
        nc_node->orig_node = orig_neigh_node;
 
-       /* Select ingoing or outgoing coding node */
-       if (in_coding) {
-               lock = &orig_neigh_node->in_coding_list_lock;
-               list = &orig_neigh_node->in_coding_list;
-       } else {
-               lock = &orig_neigh_node->out_coding_list_lock;
-               list = &orig_neigh_node->out_coding_list;
-       }
-
        batadv_dbg(BATADV_DBG_NC, bat_priv, "Adding nc_node %pM -> %pM\n",
                   nc_node->addr, nc_node->orig_node->orig);
 
        /* Add nc_node to orig_node */
-       spin_lock_bh(lock);
        kref_get(&nc_node->refcount);
        list_add_tail_rcu(&nc_node->list, list);
+
+unlock:
        spin_unlock_bh(lock);
 
        return nc_node;