diff --git a/scst/src/scst_main.c b/scst/src/scst_main.c
index b5b3851e9..512d0bae1 100644
--- a/scst/src/scst_main.c
+++ b/scst/src/scst_main.c
@@ -593,16 +593,6 @@ out_free_tgt:
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(scst_register_target);
 
-static inline int test_sess_list(struct scst_tgt *tgt)
-{
-	int res;
-
-	mutex_lock(&scst_mutex);
-	res = list_empty(&tgt->sysfs_sess_list);
-	mutex_unlock(&scst_mutex);
-	return res;
-}
-
 /**
  * scst_unregister_target() - unregister target.
  *
@@ -655,8 +645,15 @@ again:
 	mutex_unlock(&scst_mutex);
 #endif
 
+	/*
+	 * Testing tgt->sysfs_sess_list below without holding scst_mutex
+	 * is safe because 'tgt' won't disappear until scst_free_tgt() is
+	 * called below and because the mutex_lock(&scst_mutex) call below
+	 * waits until scst_free_session() has finished accessing the 'tgt'
+	 * object.
+	 */
 	TRACE_DBG("%s", "Waiting for sessions shutdown");
-	wait_event(tgt->unreg_waitQ, test_sess_list(tgt));
+	wait_event(tgt->unreg_waitQ, list_empty(&tgt->sysfs_sess_list));
 	TRACE_DBG("%s", "wait_event() returned");
 
 	scst_suspend_activity(SCST_SUSPEND_TIMEOUT_UNLIMITED);