diff --git a/drivers/s390/net/qeth_l2_main.c b/drivers/s390/net/qeth_l2_main.c
index 2db409330c21..e67e0258aec5 100644
--- a/drivers/s390/net/qeth_l2_main.c
+++ b/drivers/s390/net/qeth_l2_main.c
@@ -1141,11 +1141,12 @@ static int qeth_l2_recover(void *ptr)
 		dev_info(&card->gdev->dev,
 			"Device successfully recovered!\n");
 	else {
-		rtnl_lock();
-		dev_close(card->dev);
-		rtnl_unlock();
-		dev_warn(&card->gdev->dev, "The qeth device driver "
-			"failed to recover an error on the device\n");
+		if (rtnl_trylock()) {
+			dev_close(card->dev);
+			rtnl_unlock();
+			dev_warn(&card->gdev->dev, "The qeth device driver "
+				"failed to recover an error on the device\n");
+		}
 	}
 	qeth_clear_thread_start_bit(card, QETH_RECOVER_THREAD);
 	qeth_clear_thread_running_bit(card, QETH_RECOVER_THREAD);
diff --git a/drivers/s390/net/qeth_l3_main.c b/drivers/s390/net/qeth_l3_main.c
index 4cd310cb5bdf..5ba390658498 100644
--- a/drivers/s390/net/qeth_l3_main.c
+++ b/drivers/s390/net/qeth_l3_main.c
@@ -3510,11 +3510,12 @@ static int qeth_l3_recover(void *ptr)
 		dev_info(&card->gdev->dev,
 			"Device successfully recovered!\n");
 	else {
-		rtnl_lock();
-		dev_close(card->dev);
-		rtnl_unlock();
-		dev_warn(&card->gdev->dev, "The qeth device driver "
-			"failed to recover an error on the device\n");
+		if (rtnl_trylock()) {
+			dev_close(card->dev);
+			rtnl_unlock();
+			dev_warn(&card->gdev->dev, "The qeth device driver "
+				"failed to recover an error on the device\n");
+		}
 	}
 	qeth_clear_thread_start_bit(card, QETH_RECOVER_THREAD);
 	qeth_clear_thread_running_bit(card, QETH_RECOVER_THREAD);