diff --git a/vmkdrivers/src_9/drivers/char/openipmi/ipmi_si_drv/ipmi_si_intf.c b/vmkdrivers/src_9/drivers/char/openipmi/ipmi_si_drv/ipmi_si_intf.c
index 9f149d33124896337b9c06a22f65bfb80a802aa8..17e14f2fac42857f58e733aee84bef25e9288a21 100644
--- a/vmkdrivers/src_9/drivers/char/openipmi/ipmi_si_drv/ipmi_si_intf.c
+++ b/vmkdrivers/src_9/drivers/char/openipmi/ipmi_si_drv/ipmi_si_intf.c
@@ -307,7 +307,11 @@ static void return_hosed_msg(struct smi_info *smi_info, int cCode)
 	msg->rsp_size = 3;
 
 	smi_info->curr_msg = NULL;
+
+	/* To fix #PR 889881*/
+	spin_unlock(&(smi_info->msg_lock));
 	deliver_recv_msg(smi_info, msg);
+	spin_lock(&(smi_info->msg_lock));
 }
 
 static enum si_sm_result start_next_msg(struct smi_info *smi_info)
@@ -767,7 +771,10 @@ static enum si_sm_result smi_event_handler(struct smi_info *smi_info,
 			/* If we were handling a user message, format
                            a response to send to the upper layer to
                            tell it about the error. */
+			/* To fix #PR 889881*/
+			spin_lock(&(smi_info->msg_lock));
 			return_hosed_msg(smi_info, IPMI_ERR_UNSPECIFIED);
+			spin_unlock(&(smi_info->msg_lock));
 		}
 		si_sm_result = smi_info->handlers->event(smi_info->si_sm, 0);
 	}