diff --git a/fs/btrfs/volumes.c b/fs/btrfs/volumes.c
index 537ccf66ee20cb..084b8227ea2c7f 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/volumes.c
+++ b/fs/btrfs/volumes.c
@@ -245,7 +245,9 @@ static int __btrfs_map_block(struct btrfs_fs_info *fs_info,
  *
  * global::fs_devs - add, remove, updates to the global list
  *
- * does not protect: manipulation of the fs_devices::devices list!
+ * does not protect: manipulation of the fs_devices::devices list in general
+ * but in mount context it could be used to exclude list modifications by eg.
+ * scan ioctl
  *
  * btrfs_device::name - renames (write side), read is RCU
  *
@@ -258,6 +260,9 @@ static int __btrfs_map_block(struct btrfs_fs_info *fs_info,
  * may be used to exclude some operations from running concurrently without any
  * modifications to the list (see write_all_supers)
  *
+ * Is not required at mount and close times, because our device list is
+ * protected by the uuid_mutex at that point.
+ *
  * balance_mutex
  * -------------
  * protects balance structures (status, state) and context accessed from
@@ -602,6 +607,11 @@ static int btrfs_free_stale_devices(const char *path,
 	return ret;
 }
 
+/*
+ * This is only used on mount, and we are protected from competing things
+ * messing with our fs_devices by the uuid_mutex, thus we do not need the
+ * fs_devices->device_list_mutex here.
+ */
 static int btrfs_open_one_device(struct btrfs_fs_devices *fs_devices,
 			struct btrfs_device *device, fmode_t flags,
 			void *holder)
@@ -1229,8 +1239,14 @@ int btrfs_open_devices(struct btrfs_fs_devices *fs_devices,
 	int ret;
 
 	lockdep_assert_held(&uuid_mutex);
+	/*
+	 * The device_list_mutex cannot be taken here in case opening the
+	 * underlying device takes further locks like bd_mutex.
+	 *
+	 * We also don't need the lock here as this is called during mount and
+	 * exclusion is provided by uuid_mutex
+	 */
 
-	mutex_lock(&fs_devices->device_list_mutex);
 	if (fs_devices->opened) {
 		fs_devices->opened++;
 		ret = 0;
@@ -1238,7 +1254,6 @@ int btrfs_open_devices(struct btrfs_fs_devices *fs_devices,
 		list_sort(NULL, &fs_devices->devices, devid_cmp);
 		ret = open_fs_devices(fs_devices, flags, holder);
 	}
-	mutex_unlock(&fs_devices->device_list_mutex);
 
 	return ret;
 }