diff --git a/kernel/locking/mutex.c b/kernel/locking/mutex.c
index c0c7784f074b..b02fff28221f 100644
--- a/kernel/locking/mutex.c
+++ b/kernel/locking/mutex.c
@@ -938,7 +938,6 @@ __mutex_lock_common(struct mutex *lock, long state, unsigned int subclass,
 		    struct ww_acquire_ctx *ww_ctx, const bool use_ww_ctx)
 {
 	struct mutex_waiter waiter;
-	bool first = false;
 	struct ww_mutex *ww;
 	int ret;
 
@@ -1017,6 +1016,8 @@ __mutex_lock_common(struct mutex *lock, long state, unsigned int subclass,
 
 	set_current_state(state);
 	for (;;) {
+		bool first;
+
 		/*
 		 * Once we hold wait_lock, we're serialized against
 		 * mutex_unlock() handing the lock off to us, do a trylock
@@ -1045,15 +1046,9 @@ __mutex_lock_common(struct mutex *lock, long state, unsigned int subclass,
 		spin_unlock(&lock->wait_lock);
 		schedule_preempt_disabled();
 
-		/*
-		 * ww_mutex needs to always recheck its position since its waiter
-		 * list is not FIFO ordered.
-		 */
-		if (ww_ctx || !first) {
-			first = __mutex_waiter_is_first(lock, &waiter);
-			if (first)
-				__mutex_set_flag(lock, MUTEX_FLAG_HANDOFF);
-		}
+		first = __mutex_waiter_is_first(lock, &waiter);
+		if (first)
+			__mutex_set_flag(lock, MUTEX_FLAG_HANDOFF);
 
 		set_current_state(state);
 		/*