diff --git a/legacy/evas/src/lib/cache/evas_cache_image.c b/legacy/evas/src/lib/cache/evas_cache_image.c
index d2d155d312..a84b26f6bf 100644
--- a/legacy/evas/src/lib/cache/evas_cache_image.c
+++ b/legacy/evas/src/lib/cache/evas_cache_image.c
@@ -303,9 +303,8 @@ _evas_cache_image_entry_surface_alloc(Evas_Cache_Image *cache,
 
 #ifdef BUILD_ASYNC_PRELOAD
 static void
-_evas_cache_image_async_call(Image_Entry *im)
+_evas_cache_image_async_call__unlocked(Image_Entry *im)
 {
-   pthread_mutex_lock(&mutex);
    while (im->targets)
      {
 	Evas_Cache_Target *tmp = im->targets;
@@ -315,6 +314,13 @@ _evas_cache_image_async_call(Image_Entry *im)
 	im->targets = (Evas_Cache_Target*) eina_inlist_remove(EINA_INLIST_GET(im->targets), EINA_INLIST_GET(im->targets));
 	free(tmp);
      }
+}
+
+static void
+_evas_cache_image_async_call(Image_Entry *im)
+{
+   pthread_mutex_lock(&mutex);
+   _evas_cache_image_async_call__unlocked(im);
    pthread_mutex_unlock(&mutex);
 }
 
@@ -407,7 +413,7 @@ _evas_cache_image_entry_preload_remove(Image_Entry *ie, const void *target)
 				    }
 				 }
 			    } else {
-			       _evas_cache_image_async_call(ie);
+			       _evas_cache_image_async_call__unlocked(ie);
 
 			       while (ie->targets)
 				 {