diff --git a/src/audio/SDL_audio.c b/src/audio/SDL_audio.c
index 6ddaafe76b..f08531eb0b 100644
--- a/src/audio/SDL_audio.c
+++ b/src/audio/SDL_audio.c
@@ -988,7 +988,7 @@ static SDL_AudioDevice *ObtainPhysicalAudioDevice(SDL_AudioDeviceID devid)
     return dev;
 }
 
-SDL_AudioDevice *SDL_ObtainPhysicalAudioDeviceByHandle(void *handle)
+SDL_AudioDevice *SDL_FindPhysicalAudioDeviceByHandle(void *handle)
 {
     if (!SDL_GetCurrentAudioDriver()) {
         SDL_SetError("Audio subsystem is not initialized");
@@ -1000,8 +1000,6 @@ SDL_AudioDevice *SDL_ObtainPhysicalAudioDeviceByHandle(void *handle)
     SDL_AudioDevice *dev = NULL;
     for (dev = current_audio.output_devices; dev != NULL; dev = dev->next) {
         if (dev->handle == handle) {  // found it?
-            SDL_LockMutex(dev->lock);  // caller must unlock.
-            SDL_assert(!SDL_AtomicGet(&dev->condemned));  // shouldn't be in the list if pending deletion.
             break;
         }
     }
@@ -1010,8 +1008,6 @@ SDL_AudioDevice *SDL_ObtainPhysicalAudioDeviceByHandle(void *handle)
         // !!! FIXME: code duplication, from above.
         for (dev = current_audio.capture_devices; dev != NULL; dev = dev->next) {
             if (dev->handle == handle) {  // found it?
-                SDL_LockMutex(dev->lock);  // caller must unlock.
-                SDL_assert(!SDL_AtomicGet(&dev->condemned));  // shouldn't be in the list if pending deletion.
                 break;
             }
         }
@@ -1023,6 +1019,8 @@ SDL_AudioDevice *SDL_ObtainPhysicalAudioDeviceByHandle(void *handle)
         SDL_SetError("Device handle not found");
     }
 
+    SDL_assert(!SDL_AtomicGet(&dev->condemned));  // shouldn't be in the list if pending deletion.
+
     return dev;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/audio/SDL_sysaudio.h b/src/audio/SDL_sysaudio.h
index 1f018887c6..9d413a6cd9 100644
--- a/src/audio/SDL_sysaudio.h
+++ b/src/audio/SDL_sysaudio.h
@@ -85,8 +85,8 @@ extern void SDL_AudioDeviceDisconnected(SDL_AudioDevice *device);
 // Backends should call this if the system default device changes.
 extern void SDL_DefaultAudioDeviceChanged(SDL_AudioDevice *new_default_device);
 
-// Find the SDL_AudioDevice associated with the handle supplied to SDL_AddAudioDevice. NULL if not found. Locks the device! You must unlock!!
-extern SDL_AudioDevice *SDL_ObtainPhysicalAudioDeviceByHandle(void *handle);
+// Find the SDL_AudioDevice associated with the handle supplied to SDL_AddAudioDevice. NULL if not found. DOES NOT LOCK THE DEVICE.
+extern SDL_AudioDevice *SDL_FindPhysicalAudioDeviceByHandle(void *handle);
 
 // Backends should call this if they change the device format, channels, freq, or sample_frames to keep other state correct.
 extern void SDL_UpdatedAudioDeviceFormat(SDL_AudioDevice *device);
diff --git a/src/audio/alsa/SDL_alsa_audio.c b/src/audio/alsa/SDL_alsa_audio.c
index 4703eee4c5..9acab94b81 100644
--- a/src/audio/alsa/SDL_alsa_audio.c
+++ b/src/audio/alsa/SDL_alsa_audio.c
@@ -880,13 +880,7 @@ static void ALSA_HotplugIteration(SDL_bool *has_default_output, SDL_bool *has_de
         for (ALSA_Device *dev = unseen; dev; dev = next) {
             /*printf("ALSA: removing usb %s device '%s'\n", dev->iscapture ? "capture" : "output", dev->name);*/
             next = dev->next;
-
-            SDL_AudioDevice *device = SDL_ObtainPhysicalAudioDeviceByHandle(dev->name);
-            if (device) {
-                SDL_UnlockMutex(device->lock);  // AudioDeviceDisconnected will relock and verify it's still in the list, but in case this is destroyed, unlock now.
-                SDL_AudioDeviceDisconnected(device);
-            }
-
+            SDL_AudioDeviceDisconnected(SDL_FindPhysicalAudioDeviceByHandle(dev->name));
             SDL_free(dev->name);
             SDL_free(dev);
         }
diff --git a/src/audio/coreaudio/SDL_coreaudio.m b/src/audio/coreaudio/SDL_coreaudio.m
index 44ca6a846d..1a666af292 100644
--- a/src/audio/coreaudio/SDL_coreaudio.m
+++ b/src/audio/coreaudio/SDL_coreaudio.m
@@ -118,9 +118,8 @@ static void RefreshPhysicalDevices(void)
 
     const UInt32 total_devices = (UInt32) (size / sizeof(AudioDeviceID));
     for (UInt32 i = 0; i < total_devices; i++) {
-        SDL_AudioDevice *device = SDL_ObtainPhysicalAudioDeviceByHandle((void *)((size_t)devs[i]));
+        SDL_AudioDevice *device = SDL_FindPhysicalAudioDeviceByHandle((void *)((size_t)devs[i]));
         if (device) {
-            SDL_UnlockMutex(device->lock);
             devs[i] = 0;  // The system and SDL both agree it's already here, don't check it again.
         }
     }
@@ -235,11 +234,7 @@ static OSStatus DefaultAudioDeviceChangedNotification(AudioObjectID inObjectID,
     AudioDeviceID devid;
     Uint32 size = sizeof(devid);
     if (AudioObjectGetPropertyData(inObjectID, addr, 0, NULL, &size, &devid) == noErr) {
-        SDL_AudioDevice *device = SDL_ObtainPhysicalAudioDeviceByHandle((void *)((size_t)devid));
-        if (device) {
-            SDL_UnlockMutex(device->lock);
-            SDL_DefaultAudioDeviceChanged(device);
-        }
+        SDL_DefaultAudioDeviceChanged(SDL_FindPhysicalAudioDeviceByHandle((void *)((size_t)devid)));
     }
     return noErr;
 }
@@ -274,9 +269,8 @@ static void COREAUDIO_DetectDevices(SDL_AudioDevice **default_output, SDL_AudioD
 
     size = sizeof(AudioDeviceID);
     if (AudioObjectGetPropertyData(kAudioObjectSystemObject, &default_output_device_address, 0, NULL, &size, &devid) == noErr) {
-        SDL_AudioDevice *device = SDL_ObtainPhysicalAudioDeviceByHandle((void *)((size_t)devid));
+        SDL_AudioDevice *device = SDL_FindPhysicalAudioDeviceByHandle((void *)((size_t)devid));
         if (device) {
-            SDL_UnlockMutex(device->lock);
             *default_output = device;
         }
     }
@@ -284,9 +278,8 @@ static void COREAUDIO_DetectDevices(SDL_AudioDevice **default_output, SDL_AudioD
 
     size = sizeof(AudioDeviceID);
     if (AudioObjectGetPropertyData(kAudioObjectSystemObject, &default_input_device_address, 0, NULL, &size, &devid) == noErr) {
-        SDL_AudioDevice *device = SDL_ObtainPhysicalAudioDeviceByHandle((void *)((size_t)devid));
+        SDL_AudioDevice *device = SDL_FindPhysicalAudioDeviceByHandle((void *)((size_t)devid));
         if (device) {
-            SDL_UnlockMutex(device->lock);
             *default_capture = device;
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/audio/pipewire/SDL_pipewire.c b/src/audio/pipewire/SDL_pipewire.c
index 170b6d746c..419fbfcb86 100644
--- a/src/audio/pipewire/SDL_pipewire.c
+++ b/src/audio/pipewire/SDL_pipewire.c
@@ -327,11 +327,7 @@ static void io_list_remove(Uint32 id)
             spa_list_remove(&n->link);
 
             if (hotplug_events_enabled) {
-                SDL_AudioDevice *device = SDL_ObtainPhysicalAudioDeviceByHandle(PW_ID_TO_HANDLE(id));
-                if (device) {
-                    SDL_UnlockMutex(device->lock);  // AudioDeviceDisconnected will relock and verify it's still in the list, but in case this is destroyed, unlock now.
-                    SDL_AudioDeviceDisconnected(device);
-                }
+                SDL_AudioDeviceDisconnected(SDL_FindPhysicalAudioDeviceByHandle(PW_ID_TO_HANDLE(id)));
             }
 
             SDL_free(n);
@@ -614,11 +610,7 @@ static void change_default_device(const char *path)
         struct io_node *n, *temp;
         spa_list_for_each_safe (n, temp, &hotplug_io_list, link) {
             if (SDL_strcmp(n->path, path) == 0) {
-                SDL_AudioDevice *device = SDL_ObtainPhysicalAudioDeviceByHandle(PW_ID_TO_HANDLE(n->id));
-                if (device) {
-                    SDL_UnlockMutex(device->lock);
-                    SDL_DefaultAudioDeviceChanged(device);
-                }
+                SDL_DefaultAudioDeviceChanged(SDL_FindPhysicalAudioDeviceByHandle(PW_ID_TO_HANDLE(n->id)));
                 return; // found it, we're done.
             }
         }
diff --git a/src/audio/pulseaudio/SDL_pulseaudio.c b/src/audio/pulseaudio/SDL_pulseaudio.c
index 50d2072e79..f0c33d03f2 100644
--- a/src/audio/pulseaudio/SDL_pulseaudio.c
+++ b/src/audio/pulseaudio/SDL_pulseaudio.c
@@ -825,11 +825,7 @@ static void HotplugCallback(pa_context *c, pa_subscription_event_type_t t, uint3
             PULSEAUDIO_pa_operation_unref(PULSEAUDIO_pa_context_get_source_info_by_index(pulseaudio_context, idx, SourceInfoCallback, (void *)((intptr_t)added)));
         } else if (removed && (sink || source)) {
             // removes we can handle just with the device index.
-            SDL_AudioDevice *device = SDL_ObtainPhysicalAudioDeviceByHandle((void *)((intptr_t)idx + 1));
-            if (device) {
-                SDL_UnlockMutex(device->lock);  // AudioDeviceDisconnected will relock and verify it's still in the list, but in case this is destroyed, unlock now.
-                SDL_AudioDeviceDisconnected(device);
-            }
+            SDL_AudioDeviceDisconnected(SDL_FindPhysicalAudioDeviceByHandle((void *)((intptr_t)idx + 1)));
         }
     }
     PULSEAUDIO_pa_threaded_mainloop_signal(pulseaudio_threaded_mainloop, 0);
@@ -838,9 +834,8 @@ static void HotplugCallback(pa_context *c, pa_subscription_event_type_t t, uint3
 static void CheckDefaultDevice(uint32_t *prev_default, uint32_t new_default)
 {
     if (*prev_default != new_default) {
-        SDL_AudioDevice *device = SDL_ObtainPhysicalAudioDeviceByHandle((void *)((intptr_t)new_default + 1));
+        SDL_AudioDevice *device = SDL_FindPhysicalAudioDeviceByHandle((void *)((intptr_t)new_default + 1));
         if (device) {
-            SDL_UnlockMutex(device->lock);
             *prev_default = new_default;
             SDL_DefaultAudioDeviceChanged(device);
         }
@@ -883,15 +878,13 @@ static void PULSEAUDIO_DetectDevices(SDL_AudioDevice **default_output, SDL_Audio
     PULSEAUDIO_pa_threaded_mainloop_unlock(pulseaudio_threaded_mainloop);
 
     SDL_AudioDevice *device;
-    device = SDL_ObtainPhysicalAudioDeviceByHandle((void *)((intptr_t)default_sink_index + 1));
+    device = SDL_FindPhysicalAudioDeviceByHandle((void *)((intptr_t)default_sink_index + 1));
     if (device) {
-        SDL_UnlockMutex(device->lock);
         *default_output = device;
     }
 
-    device = SDL_ObtainPhysicalAudioDeviceByHandle((void *)((intptr_t)default_source_index + 1));
+    device = SDL_FindPhysicalAudioDeviceByHandle((void *)((intptr_t)default_source_index + 1));
     if (device) {
-        SDL_UnlockMutex(device->lock);
         *default_capture = device;
     }