diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_main.c
index 22c43a776c6c..756c4ea17655 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_main.c
@@ -10828,6 +10828,7 @@ static void i40e_remove(struct pci_dev *pdev)
 	mutex_destroy(&hw->aq.asq_mutex);
 
 	/* Clear all dynamic memory lists of rings, q_vectors, and VSIs */
+	rtnl_lock();
 	i40e_clear_interrupt_scheme(pf);
 	for (i = 0; i < pf->num_alloc_vsi; i++) {
 		if (pf->vsi[i]) {
@@ -10836,6 +10837,7 @@ static void i40e_remove(struct pci_dev *pdev)
 			pf->vsi[i] = NULL;
 		}
 	}
+	rtnl_unlock();
 
 	for (i = 0; i < I40E_MAX_VEB; i++) {
 		kfree(pf->veb[i]);
@@ -10982,7 +10984,13 @@ static void i40e_shutdown(struct pci_dev *pdev)
 	wr32(hw, I40E_PFPM_WUFC,
 	     (pf->wol_en ? I40E_PFPM_WUFC_MAG_MASK : 0));
 
+	/* Since we're going to destroy queues during the
+	 * i40e_clear_interrupt_scheme() we should hold the RTNL lock for this
+	 * whole section
+	 */
+	rtnl_lock();
 	i40e_clear_interrupt_scheme(pf);
+	rtnl_unlock();
 
 	if (system_state == SYSTEM_POWER_OFF) {
 		pci_wake_from_d3(pdev, pf->wol_en);