diff --git a/drivers/mtd/m25px.c b/drivers/mtd/m25px.c
index 3b509eb6c54..bac7fdb7c97 100644
--- a/drivers/mtd/m25px.c
+++ b/drivers/mtd/m25px.c
@@ -798,6 +798,12 @@ static ssize_t m25p_read(FAR struct mtd_dev_s *dev, off_t offset, size_t nbytes,
 
   finfo("offset: %08lx nbytes: %d\n", (long)offset, (int)nbytes);
 
+  /* Lock the SPI bus NOW because the following call must be executed with
+   * the bus locked.
+   */
+
+  m25p_lock(priv->dev);
+
   /* Wait for any preceding write to complete.  We could simplify things by
    * perform this wait at the end of each write operation (rather than at
    * the beginning of ALL operations), but have the wait first will slightly
@@ -806,12 +812,11 @@ static ssize_t m25p_read(FAR struct mtd_dev_s *dev, off_t offset, size_t nbytes,
 
   m25p_waitwritecomplete(priv);
 
-  /* Lock the SPI bus and select this FLASH part */
+  /* Select this FLASH part */
 
-  m25p_lock(priv->dev);
   SPI_SELECT(priv->dev, SPIDEV_FLASH(0), true);
 
-  /* Send "Read from Memory " instruction */
+  /* Send "Read from Memory" instruction */
 
   (void)SPI_SEND(priv->dev, M25P_READ);
 
@@ -829,6 +834,7 @@ static ssize_t m25p_read(FAR struct mtd_dev_s *dev, off_t offset, size_t nbytes,
 
   SPI_SELECT(priv->dev, SPIDEV_FLASH(0), false);
   m25p_unlock(priv->dev);
+
   finfo("return nbytes: %d\n", (int)nbytes);
   return nbytes;
 }