diff --git a/src/ixgbe_lib.c b/src/ixgbe_lib.c
index 5db6141..36832f2 100644
--- a/src/ixgbe_lib.c
+++ b/src/ixgbe_lib.c
@@ -1125,9 +1125,6 @@ static void ixgbe_free_q_vector(struct ixgbe_adapter *adapter, int v_idx)
 			adapter->tx_ring[ring->queue_index] = NULL;
 	}
 
-	if (static_key_enabled((struct static_key *)&ixgbe_xdp_locking_key))
-		static_branch_dec(&ixgbe_xdp_locking_key);
-
 	ixgbe_for_each_ring(ring, q_vector->rx)
 		adapter->rx_ring[ring->queue_index] = NULL;
 
diff --git a/src/ixgbe_main.c b/src/ixgbe_main.c
index 5fd2d87..7687823 100644
--- a/src/ixgbe_main.c
+++ b/src/ixgbe_main.c
@@ -8618,6 +8618,11 @@ static int ixgbe_sw_init(struct ixgbe_adapter *adapter)
 	adapter->tx_work_limit = IXGBE_DEFAULT_TX_WORK;
 
 	set_bit(__IXGBE_DOWN, &adapter->state);
+
+    /* enable locking for XDP_TX if we have more CPUs than queues */
+	if (nr_cpu_ids > IXGBE_MAX_XDP_QS)
+		static_branch_enable(&ixgbe_xdp_locking_key);
+
 out:
 	return err;
 }
@@ -13234,8 +13239,6 @@ static int ixgbe_xdp_setup(struct net_device *dev, struct bpf_prog *prog)
 	 */
 	if (nr_cpu_ids > IXGBE_MAX_XDP_QS * 2)
 		return -ENOMEM;
-	else if (nr_cpu_ids > IXGBE_MAX_XDP_QS)
-		static_branch_inc(&ixgbe_xdp_locking_key);
 
 	old_prog = xchg(&adapter->xdp_prog, prog);
 	need_reset = (!!prog != !!old_prog);