diff --git a/kernel/locking/test-ww_mutex.c b/kernel/locking/test-ww_mutex.c
index 0be047dbd897..65a3b7e55b9f 100644
--- a/kernel/locking/test-ww_mutex.c
+++ b/kernel/locking/test-ww_mutex.c
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ static void test_cycle_work(struct work_struct *work)
 {
 	struct test_cycle *cycle = container_of(work, typeof(*cycle), work);
 	struct ww_acquire_ctx ctx;
-	int err;
+	int err, erra = 0;
 
 	ww_acquire_init(&ctx, &ww_class);
 	ww_mutex_lock(&cycle->a_mutex, &ctx);
@@ -270,17 +270,19 @@ static void test_cycle_work(struct work_struct *work)
 
 	err = ww_mutex_lock(cycle->b_mutex, &ctx);
 	if (err == -EDEADLK) {
+		err = 0;
 		ww_mutex_unlock(&cycle->a_mutex);
 		ww_mutex_lock_slow(cycle->b_mutex, &ctx);
-		err = ww_mutex_lock(&cycle->a_mutex, &ctx);
+		erra = ww_mutex_lock(&cycle->a_mutex, &ctx);
 	}
 
 	if (!err)
 		ww_mutex_unlock(cycle->b_mutex);
-	ww_mutex_unlock(&cycle->a_mutex);
+	if (!erra)
+		ww_mutex_unlock(&cycle->a_mutex);
 	ww_acquire_fini(&ctx);
 
-	cycle->result = err;
+	cycle->result = err ?: erra;
 }
 
 static int __test_cycle(unsigned int nthreads)