diff --git a/release/files_common b/release/files_common
index 05152663c6..59f64a22fb 100644
--- a/release/files_common
+++ b/release/files_common
@@ -198,7 +198,6 @@ selfdrive/common/clutil.cc
 selfdrive/common/clutil.h
 selfdrive/common/params.h
 selfdrive/common/params.cc
-selfdrive/common/mutex.h
 
 selfdrive/common/modeldata.h
 selfdrive/common/mat.h
diff --git a/selfdrive/common/mutex.h b/selfdrive/common/mutex.h
deleted file mode 100644
index ef01359357..0000000000
--- a/selfdrive/common/mutex.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-#ifndef COMMON_MUTEX_H
-#define COMMON_MUTEX_H
-
-#include <pthread.h>
-
-static inline void mutex_init_reentrant(pthread_mutex_t *mutex) {
-  pthread_mutexattr_t attr;
-  pthread_mutexattr_init(&attr);
-  pthread_mutexattr_settype(&attr, PTHREAD_MUTEX_RECURSIVE);
-  pthread_mutex_init(mutex, &attr);
-}
-
-#endif
diff --git a/selfdrive/loggerd/omx_encoder.cc b/selfdrive/loggerd/omx_encoder.cc
index b96d340f01..f8cf6f9b9b 100644
--- a/selfdrive/loggerd/omx_encoder.cc
+++ b/selfdrive/loggerd/omx_encoder.cc
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
 #include <libyuv.h>
 #include <msm_media_info.h>
 
-#include "common/mutex.h"
 #include "common/util.h"
 #include "common/swaglog.h"
 
@@ -173,7 +172,6 @@ OmxEncoder::OmxEncoder(const char* filename, int width, int height, int fps, int
   this->fps = fps;
   this->remuxing = !h265;
 
-  mutex_init_reentrant(&this->lock);
   pthread_mutex_init(&this->state_lock, NULL);
   pthread_cond_init(&this->state_cv, NULL);
 
@@ -408,10 +406,7 @@ int OmxEncoder::encode_frame(const uint8_t *y_ptr, const uint8_t *u_ptr, const u
                              int in_width, int in_height,
                              int *frame_segment, uint64_t ts) {
   int err;
-  pthread_mutex_lock(&this->lock);
-
   if (!this->is_open) {
-    pthread_mutex_unlock(&this->lock);
     return -1;
   }
 
@@ -421,7 +416,6 @@ int OmxEncoder::encode_frame(const uint8_t *y_ptr, const uint8_t *u_ptr, const u
   OMX_BUFFERHEADERTYPE* in_buf = nullptr;
   while (!this->free_in.try_pop(in_buf, 20)) {
     if (do_exit) {
-      pthread_mutex_unlock(&this->lock);
       return -1;
     }
   }
@@ -487,15 +481,12 @@ int OmxEncoder::encode_frame(const uint8_t *y_ptr, const uint8_t *u_ptr, const u
     *frame_segment = this->segment;
   }
 
-  pthread_mutex_unlock(&this->lock);
   return ret;
 }
 
 void OmxEncoder::encoder_open(const char* path, int segment) {
   int err;
 
-  pthread_mutex_lock(&this->lock);
-
   this->segment = segment;
   snprintf(this->vid_path, sizeof(this->vid_path), "%s/%s", path, this->filename);
   LOGD("encoder_open %s remuxing:%d", this->vid_path, this->remuxing);
@@ -543,13 +534,9 @@ void OmxEncoder::encoder_open(const char* path, int segment) {
 
   this->is_open = true;
   this->counter = 0;
-
-  pthread_mutex_unlock(&this->lock);
 }
 
 void OmxEncoder::encoder_close() {
-  pthread_mutex_lock(&this->lock);
-
   if (this->is_open) {
     if (this->dirty) {
       // drain output only if there could be frames in the encoder
@@ -586,8 +573,6 @@ void OmxEncoder::encoder_close() {
     unlink(this->lock_path);
   }
   this->is_open = false;
-
-  pthread_mutex_unlock(&this->lock);
 }
 
 OmxEncoder::~OmxEncoder() {
diff --git a/selfdrive/loggerd/omx_encoder.h b/selfdrive/loggerd/omx_encoder.h
index ee27ef7cd1..39ccbfa95f 100644
--- a/selfdrive/loggerd/omx_encoder.h
+++ b/selfdrive/loggerd/omx_encoder.h
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@ private:
   void wait_for_state(OMX_STATETYPE state);
   static void handle_out_buf(OmxEncoder *e, OMX_BUFFERHEADERTYPE *out_buf);
 
-  pthread_mutex_t lock;
   int width, height, fps;
   char vid_path[1024];
   char lock_path[1024];