diff --git a/doc/Changelog b/doc/Changelog
index 7b1dc9ad9..1b44f837d 100644
--- a/doc/Changelog
+++ b/doc/Changelog
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 29 January 2019: Wouter
 	- Fix spelling of tls-ciphers in example.conf.in.
 	- Fix #4224: auth_xfr_notify.rpl test broken due to typo
+	- Fix locking for libunbound context setup with broken port config.
 
 28 January 2019: Wouter
 	- ub_ctx_set_tls call for libunbound that enables DoT for the machines
diff --git a/libunbound/libworker.c b/libunbound/libworker.c
index a886f9a88..01621927e 100644
--- a/libunbound/libworker.c
+++ b/libunbound/libworker.c
@@ -222,11 +222,10 @@ libworker_setup(struct ub_ctx* ctx, int is_bg, struct ub_event_base* eb)
 	}
 	numports = cfg_condense_ports(cfg, &ports);
 	if(numports == 0) {
-		int locked = !w->is_bg || w->is_bg_thread;
-		libworker_delete(w);
-		if(locked) {
+		if(!w->is_bg || w->is_bg_thread) {
 			lock_basic_unlock(&ctx->cfglock);
 		}
+		libworker_delete(w);
 		return NULL;
 	}
 	w->back = outside_network_create(w->base, cfg->msg_buffer_size,