diff --git a/internal/dir.go b/internal/dir.go
index 687674f0..e40bcdce 100644
--- a/internal/dir.go
+++ b/internal/dir.go
@@ -905,9 +905,6 @@ func (parent *Inode) Create(
 
 	fs := parent.fs
 
-	parent.mu.Lock()
-	defer parent.mu.Unlock()
-
 	now := time.Now()
 	inode = NewInode(fs, parent, &name)
 	inode.Attributes = InodeAttributes{
@@ -948,9 +945,6 @@ func (parent *Inode) MkDir(
 		return
 	}
 
-	parent.mu.Lock()
-	defer parent.mu.Unlock()
-
 	inode = NewInode(fs, parent, &name)
 	inode.ToDir()
 	inode.touch()
diff --git a/internal/goofys.go b/internal/goofys.go
index 9070fb54..2546ea11 100644
--- a/internal/goofys.go
+++ b/internal/goofys.go
@@ -1013,10 +1013,10 @@ func (fs *Goofys) CreateFile(
 	parent := fs.getInodeOrDie(op.Parent)
 	fs.mu.RUnlock()
 
-	inode, fh := parent.Create(op.Name, op.Metadata)
-
 	parent.mu.Lock()
 
+	inode, fh := parent.Create(op.Name, op.Metadata)
+
 	fs.mu.Lock()
 	defer fs.mu.Unlock()
 	fs.insertInode(parent, inode)
@@ -1049,14 +1049,14 @@ func (fs *Goofys) MkDir(
 	parent := fs.getInodeOrDie(op.Parent)
 	fs.mu.RUnlock()
 
+	parent.mu.Lock()
+
 	// ignore op.Mode for now
 	inode, err := parent.MkDir(op.Name)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	parent.mu.Lock()
-
 	fs.mu.Lock()
 	defer fs.mu.Unlock()
 	fs.insertInode(parent, inode)