diff --git a/8250-serial.c b/8250-serial.c
index 9394e88..6d4b216 100644
--- a/8250-serial.c
+++ b/8250-serial.c
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 #include "kvm/read-write.h"
 #include "kvm/ioport.h"
+#include "kvm/mutex.h"
 #include "kvm/util.h"
 #include "kvm/term.h"
 #include "kvm/kvm.h"
@@ -116,8 +117,7 @@ void serial8250__inject_interrupt(struct kvm *self)
 {
 	struct serial8250_device *dev = &devices[0];
 
-	if (pthread_mutex_lock(&dev->mutex) != 0)
-		die("pthread_mutex_lock");
+	mutex_lock(&dev->mutex);
 
 	serial8250__receive(self, dev);
 
@@ -133,8 +133,7 @@ void serial8250__inject_interrupt(struct kvm *self)
 		kvm__irq_line(self, dev->irq, 1);
 	}
 
-	if (pthread_mutex_unlock(&dev->mutex) != 0)
-		die("pthread_mutex_unlock");
+	mutex_unlock(&dev->mutex);
 }
 
 void serial8250__inject_sysrq(struct kvm *self)
@@ -165,8 +164,7 @@ static bool serial8250_out(struct kvm *self, uint16_t port, void *data, int size
 	if (!dev)
 		return false;
 
-	if (pthread_mutex_lock(&dev->mutex) != 0)
-		die("pthread_mutex_lock");
+	mutex_lock(&dev->mutex);
 
 	offset		= port - dev->iobase;
 
@@ -239,8 +237,7 @@ static bool serial8250_out(struct kvm *self, uint16_t port, void *data, int size
 	}
 
 out_unlock:
-	if (pthread_mutex_unlock(&dev->mutex) != 0)
-		die("pthread_mutex_unlock");
+	mutex_unlock(&dev->mutex);
 
 	return ret;
 }
@@ -255,8 +252,7 @@ static bool serial8250_in(struct kvm *self, uint16_t port, void *data, int size,
 	if (!dev)
 		return false;
 
-	if (pthread_mutex_lock(&dev->mutex) != 0)
-		die("pthread_mutex_lock");
+	mutex_lock(&dev->mutex);
 
 	offset		= port - dev->iobase;
 
@@ -321,8 +317,7 @@ static bool serial8250_in(struct kvm *self, uint16_t port, void *data, int size,
 		goto out_unlock;
 	}
 out_unlock:
-	if (pthread_mutex_unlock(&dev->mutex) != 0)
-		die("pthread_mutex_unlock");
+	mutex_unlock(&dev->mutex);
 
 	return ret;
 }
diff --git a/include/kvm/mutex.h b/include/kvm/mutex.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..006ade3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/kvm/mutex.h
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+#ifndef KVM__MUTEX_H
+#define KVM__MUTEX_H
+
+#include <pthread.h>
+
+#include "kvm/util.h"
+
+static inline void mutex_lock(pthread_mutex_t *mutex)
+{
+	if (pthread_mutex_lock(mutex) != 0)
+		die("unexpected pthread_mutex_lock() failure!");
+}
+
+static inline void mutex_unlock(pthread_mutex_t *mutex)
+{
+	if (pthread_mutex_unlock(mutex) != 0)
+		die("unexpected pthread_mutex_unlock() failure!");
+}
+
+#endif /* KVM__MUTEX_H */
diff --git a/virtio-blk.c b/virtio-blk.c
index 5e7f57d..79f27c1 100644
--- a/virtio-blk.c
+++ b/virtio-blk.c
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include "kvm/disk-image.h"
 #include "kvm/virtio.h"
 #include "kvm/ioport.h"
+#include "kvm/mutex.h"
 #include "kvm/util.h"
 #include "kvm/kvm.h"
 #include "kvm/pci.h"
@@ -70,8 +71,7 @@ static bool virtio_blk_pci_io_in(struct kvm *self, uint16_t port, void *data, in
 	unsigned long offset;
 	bool ret = true;
 
-	if (pthread_mutex_lock(&blk_device.mutex) != 0)
-		die("pthread_mutex_lock");
+	mutex_lock(&blk_device.mutex);
 
 	offset		= port - IOPORT_VIRTIO_BLK;
 
@@ -108,8 +108,7 @@ static bool virtio_blk_pci_io_in(struct kvm *self, uint16_t port, void *data, in
 	};
 
 out_unlock:
-	if (pthread_mutex_unlock(&blk_device.mutex) != 0)
-		die("pthread_mutex_unlock");
+	mutex_unlock(&blk_device.mutex);
 
 	return ret;
 }
@@ -180,8 +179,7 @@ static bool virtio_blk_pci_io_out(struct kvm *self, uint16_t port, void *data, i
 	unsigned long offset;
 	bool ret = true;
 
-	if (pthread_mutex_lock(&blk_device.mutex) != 0)
-		die("pthread_mutex_lock");
+	mutex_lock(&blk_device.mutex);
 
 	offset		= port - IOPORT_VIRTIO_BLK;
 
@@ -226,8 +224,7 @@ static bool virtio_blk_pci_io_out(struct kvm *self, uint16_t port, void *data, i
 	};
 
 out_unlock:
-	if (pthread_mutex_unlock(&blk_device.mutex) != 0)
-		die("pthread_mutex_unlock");
+	mutex_unlock(&blk_device.mutex);
 
 	return ret;
 }