diff --git a/virt/kvm/eventfd.c b/virt/kvm/eventfd.c
index abe4d6043b362..29c2a04e036e8 100644
--- a/virt/kvm/eventfd.c
+++ b/virt/kvm/eventfd.c
@@ -391,19 +391,19 @@ kvm_irqfd_assign(struct kvm *kvm, struct kvm_irqfd *args)
 					   lockdep_is_held(&kvm->irqfds.lock));
 	irqfd_update(kvm, irqfd, irq_rt);
 
-	events = f.file->f_op->poll(f.file, &irqfd->pt);
-
 	list_add_tail(&irqfd->list, &kvm->irqfds.items);
 
+	spin_unlock_irq(&kvm->irqfds.lock);
+
 	/*
 	 * Check if there was an event already pending on the eventfd
 	 * before we registered, and trigger it as if we didn't miss it.
 	 */
+	events = f.file->f_op->poll(f.file, &irqfd->pt);
+
 	if (events & POLLIN)
 		schedule_work(&irqfd->inject);
 
-	spin_unlock_irq(&kvm->irqfds.lock);
-
 	/*
 	 * do not drop the file until the irqfd is fully initialized, otherwise
 	 * we might race against the POLLHUP