diff --git a/source/components/namespace/nsutils.c b/source/components/namespace/nsutils.c
index 478449789f..cdffc0a0e0 100644
--- a/source/components/namespace/nsutils.c
+++ b/source/components/namespace/nsutils.c
@@ -843,7 +843,7 @@ AcpiNsOpensScope (
 
 /*******************************************************************************
  *
- * FUNCTION:    AcpiNsGetNode
+ * FUNCTION:    AcpiNsGetNodeUnlocked
  *
  * PARAMETERS:  *Pathname   - Name to be found, in external (ASL) format. The
  *                            \ (backslash) and ^ (carat) prefixes, and the
@@ -859,12 +859,12 @@ AcpiNsOpensScope (
  * DESCRIPTION: Look up a name relative to a given scope and return the
  *              corresponding Node. NOTE: Scope can be null.
  *
- * MUTEX:       Locks namespace
+ * MUTEX:       Doesn't locks namespace
  *
  ******************************************************************************/
 
 ACPI_STATUS
-AcpiNsGetNode (
+AcpiNsGetNodeUnlocked (
     ACPI_NAMESPACE_NODE     *PrefixNode,
     const char              *Pathname,
     UINT32                  Flags,
@@ -875,7 +875,7 @@ AcpiNsGetNode (
     char                    *InternalPath;
 
 
-    ACPI_FUNCTION_TRACE_PTR (NsGetNode, ACPI_CAST_PTR (char, Pathname));
+    ACPI_FUNCTION_TRACE_PTR (NsGetNodeUnlocked, ACPI_CAST_PTR (char, Pathname));
 
 
     /* Simplest case is a null pathname */
@@ -907,14 +907,6 @@ AcpiNsGetNode (
         return_ACPI_STATUS (Status);
     }
 
-    /* Must lock namespace during lookup */
-
-    Status = AcpiUtAcquireMutex (ACPI_MTX_NAMESPACE);
-    if (ACPI_FAILURE (Status))
-    {
-        goto Cleanup;
-    }
-
     /* Setup lookup scope (search starting point) */
 
     ScopeInfo.Scope.Node = PrefixNode;
@@ -930,9 +922,55 @@ AcpiNsGetNode (
             Pathname, AcpiFormatException (Status)));
     }
 
-    (void) AcpiUtReleaseMutex (ACPI_MTX_NAMESPACE);
-
-Cleanup:
     ACPI_FREE (InternalPath);
     return_ACPI_STATUS (Status);
 }
+
+
+/*******************************************************************************
+ *
+ * FUNCTION:    AcpiNsGetNode
+ *
+ * PARAMETERS:  *Pathname   - Name to be found, in external (ASL) format. The
+ *                            \ (backslash) and ^ (carat) prefixes, and the
+ *                            . (period) to separate segments are supported.
+ *              PrefixNode   - Root of subtree to be searched, or NS_ALL for the
+ *                            root of the name space. If Name is fully
+ *                            qualified (first INT8 is '\'), the passed value
+ *                            of Scope will not be accessed.
+ *              Flags       - Used to indicate whether to perform upsearch or
+ *                            not.
+ *              ReturnNode  - Where the Node is returned
+ *
+ * DESCRIPTION: Look up a name relative to a given scope and return the
+ *              corresponding Node. NOTE: Scope can be null.
+ *
+ * MUTEX:       Locks namespace
+ *
+ ******************************************************************************/
+
+ACPI_STATUS
+AcpiNsGetNode (
+    ACPI_NAMESPACE_NODE     *PrefixNode,
+    const char              *Pathname,
+    UINT32                  Flags,
+    ACPI_NAMESPACE_NODE     **ReturnNode)
+{
+    ACPI_STATUS             Status;
+
+
+    ACPI_FUNCTION_TRACE_PTR (NsGetNode, ACPI_CAST_PTR (char, Pathname));
+
+
+    Status = AcpiUtAcquireMutex (ACPI_MTX_NAMESPACE);
+    if (ACPI_FAILURE (Status))
+    {
+        return_ACPI_STATUS (Status);
+    }
+
+    Status = AcpiNsGetNodeUnlocked (PrefixNode, Pathname,
+        Flags, ReturnNode);
+
+    (void) AcpiUtReleaseMutex (ACPI_MTX_NAMESPACE);
+    return_ACPI_STATUS (Status);
+}
diff --git a/source/include/acnamesp.h b/source/include/acnamesp.h
index 2869bd13c6..9fc98733dc 100644
--- a/source/include/acnamesp.h
+++ b/source/include/acnamesp.h
@@ -467,6 +467,13 @@ AcpiNsPatternMatch (
     ACPI_NAMESPACE_NODE     *ObjNode,
     char                    *SearchFor);
 
+ACPI_STATUS
+AcpiNsGetNodeUnlocked (
+    ACPI_NAMESPACE_NODE     *PrefixNode,
+    const char              *ExternalPathname,
+    UINT32                  Flags,
+    ACPI_NAMESPACE_NODE     **OutNode);
+
 ACPI_STATUS
 AcpiNsGetNode (
     ACPI_NAMESPACE_NODE     *PrefixNode,