diff --git a/components/bt/esp_ble_mesh/mesh_core/transport.c b/components/bt/esp_ble_mesh/mesh_core/transport.c
index 54ac29d5a6..50c1d8f649 100644
--- a/components/bt/esp_ble_mesh/mesh_core/transport.c
+++ b/components/bt/esp_ble_mesh/mesh_core/transport.c
@@ -311,8 +311,8 @@ static void seg_tx_send_unacked(struct seg_tx *tx)
 
         if (!(BLE_MESH_ADV(seg)->seg.attempts--)) {
             BT_WARN("Ran out of retransmit attempts");
-            seg_tx_complete(tx, -ETIMEDOUT);
             bt_mesh_tx_seg_unlock();
+            seg_tx_complete(tx, -ETIMEDOUT);
             return;
         }