"DRIVER_EgrHdrFull"
 };
 
+static DEFINE_MUTEX(cntr_names_lock); /* protects the *_cntr_names bufers */
 static const char **dev_cntr_names;
 static const char **port_cntr_names;
 static int num_driver_cntrs = ARRAY_SIZE(driver_cntr_names);
 {
        int i, err;
 
+       mutex_lock(&cntr_names_lock);
        if (!cntr_names_initialized) {
                struct hfi1_devdata *dd = dd_from_ibdev(ibdev);
 
                                      num_driver_cntrs,
                                      &num_dev_cntrs,
                                      &dev_cntr_names);
-               if (err)
+               if (err) {
+                       mutex_unlock(&cntr_names_lock);
                        return NULL;
+               }
 
                for (i = 0; i < num_driver_cntrs; i++)
                        dev_cntr_names[num_dev_cntrs + i] =
                if (err) {
                        kfree(dev_cntr_names);
                        dev_cntr_names = NULL;
+                       mutex_unlock(&cntr_names_lock);
                        return NULL;
                }
                cntr_names_initialized = 1;
        }
+       mutex_unlock(&cntr_names_lock);
 
        if (!port_num)
                return rdma_alloc_hw_stats_struct(
        del_timer_sync(&dev->mem_timer);
        verbs_txreq_exit(dev);
 
+       mutex_lock(&cntr_names_lock);
        kfree(dev_cntr_names);
        kfree(port_cntr_names);
+       dev_cntr_names = NULL;
+       port_cntr_names = NULL;
        cntr_names_initialized = 0;
+       mutex_unlock(&cntr_names_lock);
 }
 
 void hfi1_cnp_rcv(struct hfi1_packet *packet)