diff --git a/src/lxc/commands.c b/src/lxc/commands.c
index 3062ec11e..2246b0c4a 100644
--- a/src/lxc/commands.c
+++ b/src/lxc/commands.c
@@ -1149,7 +1149,6 @@ static void lxc_cmd_fd_cleanup(int fd, struct lxc_handler *handler,
 		return;
 	}
 
-	process_lock();
 	lxc_list_for_each_safe(cur, &handler->conf->state_clients, next) {
 		client = cur->elem;
 		if (client->clientfd != fd)
@@ -1165,7 +1164,6 @@ static void lxc_cmd_fd_cleanup(int fd, struct lxc_handler *handler,
 		 */
 		break;
 	}
-	process_unlock();
 }
 
 static int lxc_cmd_handler(int fd, uint32_t events, void *data,
diff --git a/src/lxc/commands_utils.c b/src/lxc/commands_utils.c
index 12b131707..3a96b42dd 100644
--- a/src/lxc/commands_utils.c
+++ b/src/lxc/commands_utils.c
@@ -211,14 +211,11 @@ int lxc_add_state_client(int state_client_fd, struct lxc_handler *handler,
 		return -ENOMEM;
 	}
 
-	process_lock();
 	state = handler->state;
 	if (states[state] != 1) {
 		lxc_list_add_elem(tmplist, newclient);
 		lxc_list_add_tail(&handler->conf->state_clients, tmplist);
-		process_unlock();
 	} else {
-		process_unlock();
 		free(newclient);
 		free(tmplist);
 		return state;
diff --git a/src/lxc/start.c b/src/lxc/start.c
index 1279635d6..5438ebda0 100644
--- a/src/lxc/start.c
+++ b/src/lxc/start.c
@@ -390,7 +390,6 @@ int lxc_serve_state_clients(const char *name, struct lxc_handler *handler,
 	struct lxc_state_client *client;
 	struct lxc_msg msg = {.type = lxc_msg_state, .value = state};
 
-	process_lock();
 	if (state == THAWED)
 		handler->state = RUNNING;
 	else
@@ -400,7 +399,6 @@ int lxc_serve_state_clients(const char *name, struct lxc_handler *handler,
 
 	if (lxc_list_empty(&handler->conf->state_clients)) {
 		TRACE("No state clients registered");
-		process_unlock();
 		return 0;
 	}
 
@@ -437,7 +435,6 @@ int lxc_serve_state_clients(const char *name, struct lxc_handler *handler,
 		free(cur->elem);
 		free(cur);
 	}
-	process_unlock();
 
 	return 0;
 }