diff --git a/pkg/rtc/participant.go b/pkg/rtc/participant.go
index 2c17d0dd9..f510cf5af 100644
--- a/pkg/rtc/participant.go
+++ b/pkg/rtc/participant.go
@@ -1340,9 +1340,7 @@ func (p *ParticipantImpl) AddTrack(req *livekit.AddTrackRequest) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	p.pendingTracksLock.Lock()
-	ti := p.addPendingTrackLocked(req)
-	p.pendingTracksLock.Unlock()
+	ti := p.addPendingTrack(req)
 	if ti == nil {
 		return
 	}
@@ -2852,7 +2850,10 @@ func (p *ParticipantImpl) onSubscribedAudioCodecChange(
 	return p.sendSubscribedAudioCodecUpdate(subscribedAudioCodecUpdate)
 }
 
-func (p *ParticipantImpl) addPendingTrackLocked(req *livekit.AddTrackRequest) *livekit.TrackInfo {
+func (p *ParticipantImpl) addPendingTrack(req *livekit.AddTrackRequest) *livekit.TrackInfo {
+	p.pendingTracksLock.Lock()
+	defer p.pendingTracksLock.Unlock()
+
 	if req.Sid != "" {
 		track := p.GetPublishedTrack(livekit.TrackID(req.Sid))
 		if track == nil {