diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/marvell/octeontx2/nic/otx2_common.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/marvell/octeontx2/nic/otx2_common.c
index 497b777b6a34ff..8a41ad8ca04f11 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/marvell/octeontx2/nic/otx2_common.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/marvell/octeontx2/nic/otx2_common.c
@@ -1012,7 +1012,6 @@ static void otx2_pool_refill_task(struct work_struct *work)
 	rbpool = cq->rbpool;
 	free_ptrs = cq->pool_ptrs;
 
-	get_cpu();
 	while (cq->pool_ptrs) {
 		if (otx2_alloc_rbuf(pfvf, rbpool, &bufptr)) {
 			/* Schedule a WQ if we fails to free atleast half of the
@@ -1032,7 +1031,6 @@ static void otx2_pool_refill_task(struct work_struct *work)
 		pfvf->hw_ops->aura_freeptr(pfvf, qidx, bufptr + OTX2_HEAD_ROOM);
 		cq->pool_ptrs--;
 	}
-	put_cpu();
 	cq->refill_task_sched = false;
 }
 
@@ -1387,9 +1385,7 @@ int otx2_sq_aura_pool_init(struct otx2_nic *pfvf)
 			err = otx2_alloc_rbuf(pfvf, pool, &bufptr);
 			if (err)
 				goto err_mem;
-			get_cpu();
 			pfvf->hw_ops->aura_freeptr(pfvf, pool_id, bufptr);
-			put_cpu();
 			sq->sqb_ptrs[sq->sqb_count++] = (u64)bufptr;
 		}
 	}
@@ -1435,21 +1431,18 @@ int otx2_rq_aura_pool_init(struct otx2_nic *pfvf)
 	if (err)
 		goto fail;
 
-	get_cpu();
 	/* Allocate pointers and free them to aura/pool */
 	for (pool_id = 0; pool_id < hw->rqpool_cnt; pool_id++) {
 		pool = &pfvf->qset.pool[pool_id];
 		for (ptr = 0; ptr < num_ptrs; ptr++) {
 			err = otx2_alloc_rbuf(pfvf, pool, &bufptr);
 			if (err)
-				goto err_mem;
+				return -ENOMEM;
 			pfvf->hw_ops->aura_freeptr(pfvf, pool_id,
 						   bufptr + OTX2_HEAD_ROOM);
 		}
 	}
-err_mem:
-	put_cpu();
-	return err ? -ENOMEM : 0;
+	return 0;
 fail:
 	otx2_mbox_reset(&pfvf->mbox.mbox, 0);
 	otx2_aura_pool_free(pfvf);
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/marvell/octeontx2/nic/otx2_common.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/marvell/octeontx2/nic/otx2_common.h
index 5bee3c3a7ce43f..3d22cc6a2804a8 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/marvell/octeontx2/nic/otx2_common.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/marvell/octeontx2/nic/otx2_common.h
@@ -736,8 +736,10 @@ static inline void cn10k_aura_freeptr(void *dev, int aura, u64 buf)
 	u64 ptrs[2];
 
 	ptrs[1] = buf;
+	get_cpu();
 	/* Free only one buffer at time during init and teardown */
 	__cn10k_aura_freeptr(pfvf, aura, ptrs, 2);
+	put_cpu();
 }
 
 /* Alloc pointer from pool/aura */