diff --git a/pkg/backup/backup_test.go b/pkg/backup/backup_test.go
index 1cf80fe0f..eb6c2d9d4 100644
--- a/pkg/backup/backup_test.go
+++ b/pkg/backup/backup_test.go
@@ -3269,7 +3269,7 @@ func TestBackupWithSnapshots(t *testing.T) {
 			err := h.backupper.Backup(h.log, tc.req, backupFile, nil, nil, tc.snapshotterGetter)
 			require.NoError(t, err)
 
-			assert.Equal(t, tc.want, tc.req.VolumeSnapshots)
+			assert.Equal(t, tc.want, tc.req.VolumeSnapshots.Get())
 		})
 	}
 }
@@ -4213,7 +4213,7 @@ func TestBackupWithPodVolume(t *testing.T) {
 			assert.Equal(t, tc.want, req.PodVolumeBackups)
 
 			// this assumes that we don't have any test cases where some PVs should be snapshotted using a VolumeSnapshotter
-			assert.Nil(t, req.VolumeSnapshots)
+			assert.Nil(t, req.VolumeSnapshots.Get())
 		})
 	}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/backup/item_backupper.go b/pkg/backup/item_backupper.go
index 7b7f5cf62..068ea2315 100644
--- a/pkg/backup/item_backupper.go
+++ b/pkg/backup/item_backupper.go
@@ -699,9 +699,7 @@ func (ib *itemBackupper) takePVSnapshot(obj runtime.Unstructured, log logrus.Fie
 		snapshot.Status.Phase = volume.SnapshotPhaseCompleted
 		snapshot.Status.ProviderSnapshotID = snapshotID
 	}
-	ib.backupRequest.requestLock.Lock()
-	defer ib.backupRequest.requestLock.Unlock()
-	ib.backupRequest.VolumeSnapshots = append(ib.backupRequest.VolumeSnapshots, snapshot)
+	ib.backupRequest.VolumeSnapshots.Add(snapshot)
 
 	// nil errors are automatically removed
 	return kubeerrs.NewAggregate(errs)
diff --git a/pkg/backup/request.go b/pkg/backup/request.go
index b81bde74d..c3dae48a6 100644
--- a/pkg/backup/request.go
+++ b/pkg/backup/request.go
@@ -34,11 +34,27 @@ type itemKey struct {
 	name      string
 }
 
+type SynchronizedVSList struct {
+	sync.Mutex
+	VolumeSnapshotList []*volume.Snapshot
+}
+
+func (s *SynchronizedVSList) Add(vs *volume.Snapshot) {
+	s.Lock()
+	defer s.Unlock()
+	s.VolumeSnapshotList = append(s.VolumeSnapshotList, vs)
+}
+
+func (s *SynchronizedVSList) Get() []*volume.Snapshot {
+	s.Lock()
+	defer s.Unlock()
+	return s.VolumeSnapshotList
+}
+
 // Request is a request for a backup, with all references to other objects
 // materialized (e.g. backup/snapshot locations, includes/excludes, etc.)
 type Request struct {
 	*velerov1api.Backup
-	requestLock               sync.Mutex
 	StorageLocation           *velerov1api.BackupStorageLocation
 	SnapshotLocations         []*velerov1api.VolumeSnapshotLocation
 	NamespaceIncludesExcludes *collections.IncludesExcludes
@@ -46,7 +62,7 @@ type Request struct {
 	ResourceHooks             []hook.ResourceHook
 	ResolvedActions           []framework.BackupItemResolvedActionV2
 	ResolvedItemBlockActions  []framework.ItemBlockResolvedAction
-	VolumeSnapshots           []*volume.Snapshot
+	VolumeSnapshots           SynchronizedVSList
 	PodVolumeBackups          []*velerov1api.PodVolumeBackup
 	BackedUpItems             *backedUpItemsMap
 	itemOperationsList        *[]*itemoperation.BackupOperation
@@ -82,7 +98,7 @@ func (r *Request) FillVolumesInformation() {
 	}
 
 	r.VolumesInformation.SkippedPVs = skippedPVMap
-	r.VolumesInformation.NativeSnapshots = r.VolumeSnapshots
+	r.VolumesInformation.NativeSnapshots = r.VolumeSnapshots.Get()
 	r.VolumesInformation.PodVolumeBackups = r.PodVolumeBackups
 	r.VolumesInformation.BackupOperations = *r.GetItemOperationsList()
 	r.VolumesInformation.BackupName = r.Backup.Name
diff --git a/pkg/controller/backup_controller.go b/pkg/controller/backup_controller.go
index 532a5f332..c9728ea82 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/backup_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/backup_controller.go
@@ -734,8 +734,8 @@ func (b *backupReconciler) runBackup(backup *pkgbackup.Request) error {
 
 	// native snapshots phase will either be failed or completed right away
 	// https://github.com/vmware-tanzu/velero/blob/de3ea52f0cc478e99efa7b9524c7f353514261a4/pkg/backup/item_backupper.go#L632-L639
-	backup.Status.VolumeSnapshotsAttempted = len(backup.VolumeSnapshots)
-	for _, snap := range backup.VolumeSnapshots {
+	backup.Status.VolumeSnapshotsAttempted = len(backup.VolumeSnapshots.Get())
+	for _, snap := range backup.VolumeSnapshots.Get() {
 		if snap.Status.Phase == volume.SnapshotPhaseCompleted {
 			backup.Status.VolumeSnapshotsCompleted++
 		}
@@ -882,7 +882,7 @@ func persistBackup(backup *pkgbackup.Request,
 	}
 
 	// Velero-native volume snapshots (as opposed to CSI ones)
-	nativeVolumeSnapshots, errs := encode.ToJSONGzip(backup.VolumeSnapshots, "native volumesnapshots list")
+	nativeVolumeSnapshots, errs := encode.ToJSONGzip(backup.VolumeSnapshots.Get(), "native volumesnapshots list")
 	if errs != nil {
 		persistErrs = append(persistErrs, errs...)
 	}