diff --git a/daemon/control_ng.c b/daemon/control_ng.c
index 461b008c2..c3b63326a 100644
--- a/daemon/control_ng.c
+++ b/daemon/control_ng.c
@@ -149,8 +149,6 @@ int control_ng_process(str *buf, const endpoint_t *sin, char *addr,
 
 	// init decode buffer object
 	ngbuf = obj_alloc0("ng_buffer", sizeof(*ngbuf), __ng_buffer_free);
-	mutex_init(&ngbuf->lock);
-	mutex_lock(&ngbuf->lock);
 	if (ref)
 		ngbuf->ref = obj_get_o(ref); // hold until we're done
 
diff --git a/include/control_ng.h b/include/control_ng.h
index 61b84615d..f6883897a 100644
--- a/include/control_ng.h
+++ b/include/control_ng.h
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@ struct control_ng {
 
 struct ng_buffer {
 	struct obj obj;
-	mutex_t lock;
 	bencode_buffer_t buffer;
 	struct obj *ref;
 };
@@ -78,7 +77,6 @@ int control_ng_process(str *buf, const endpoint_t *sin, char *addr,
 		void (*cb)(str *, str *, const endpoint_t *, void *), void *p1, struct obj *);
 
 INLINE void ng_buffer_release(struct ng_buffer *ngbuf) {
-	mutex_unlock(&ngbuf->lock);
 	obj_put(ngbuf);
 }