diff --git a/sys/kern/kern_exec.c b/sys/kern/kern_exec.c
index 53182db530b..91d161d91fe 100644
--- a/sys/kern/kern_exec.c
+++ b/sys/kern/kern_exec.c
@@ -621,18 +621,17 @@ do_execve(td, args, mac_p)
 	 * handlers. In execsigs(), the new process will have its signals
 	 * reset.
 	 */
-	PROC_LOCK(p);
-	oldcred = crcopysafe(p, newcred);
 	if (sigacts_shared(p->p_sigacts)) {
 		oldsigacts = p->p_sigacts;
-		PROC_UNLOCK(p);
 		newsigacts = sigacts_alloc();
 		sigacts_copy(newsigacts, oldsigacts);
-		PROC_LOCK(p);
-		p->p_sigacts = newsigacts;
 	} else
 		oldsigacts = NULL;
 
+	PROC_LOCK(p);
+	if (oldsigacts)
+		p->p_sigacts = newsigacts;
+	oldcred = crcopysafe(p, newcred);
 	/* Stop profiling */
 	stopprofclock(p);
 
diff --git a/sys/kern/kern_sig.c b/sys/kern/kern_sig.c
index 67845a25d1b..7ec48893556 100644
--- a/sys/kern/kern_sig.c
+++ b/sys/kern/kern_sig.c
@@ -3453,10 +3453,6 @@ sigacts_copy(struct sigacts *dest, struct sigacts *src)
 int
 sigacts_shared(struct sigacts *ps)
 {
-	int shared;
 
-	mtx_lock(&ps->ps_mtx);
-	shared = ps->ps_refcnt > 1;
-	mtx_unlock(&ps->ps_mtx);
-	return (shared);
+	return (ps->ps_refcnt > 1);
 }