diff --git a/src/rbus/rbus_element.c b/src/rbus/rbus_element.c
index 8658af1c..60cb5f1d 100644
--- a/src/rbus/rbus_element.c
+++ b/src/rbus/rbus_element.c
@@ -392,17 +392,14 @@ elementNode* retrieveElement(elementNode* root, const char* elmentName)
     char* saveptr = NULL;
     elementNode* currentNode = root;
     elementNode* nextNode = NULL;
-    int tokenFound = 0;
-
-    LOCK();
+    int tokenFound = 0;  
     RBUSLOG_DEBUG("Request to retrieve element [%s]", elmentName);
     if(currentNode == NULL)
     {
         return NULL;
     }
-
+    LOCK();
     name = strdup(elmentName);
-
     nextNode = currentNode->child;
 
     /*TODO if name is a table row with an alias containing a dot, this will break (e.g. "Foo.[alias.1]")*/
@@ -496,14 +493,13 @@ elementNode* retrieveInstanceElementEx(rbusHandle_t handle, elementNode* root, c
     bool isWildcard = false;
 
     RBUSLOG_DEBUG("Request to retrieve element [%s]", elmentName);
-    LOCK();
+   
     if(currentNode == NULL)
     {
         return NULL;
     }
-
+    LOCK();	
     name = strdup(elmentName);
-
     nextNode = currentNode->child;
 
     /*TODO if name is a table row with an alias containing a dot, this will break (e.g. "Foo.[alias.1]")*/
@@ -1024,6 +1020,7 @@ elementNode* instantiateTableRow(elementNode* tableNode, uint32_t instNum, char
 
     if(!rowTemplate)
     {
+	UNLOCK();
         assert(false);
         RBUSLOG_ERROR("ERROR: row template not found for table %s", tableNode->fullName);
         return NULL;
diff --git a/src/rtmessage/rtThreadPool.c b/src/rtmessage/rtThreadPool.c
index 79d5502e..8a9785a5 100644
--- a/src/rtmessage/rtThreadPool.c
+++ b/src/rtmessage/rtThreadPool.c
@@ -304,7 +304,10 @@ rtError rtThreadPool_RunTask(rtThreadPool pool, rtThreadPoolFunc func, void* use
   {
     task = rt_try_malloc(sizeof(struct _rtThreadTask));
     if(!task)
-      return rtErrorFromErrno(ENOMEM);
+    {
+        pthread_mutex_unlock(&pool->poolLock);
+        return rtErrorFromErrno(ENOMEM);
+    }
     rtLog_Debug("taskList data null so alloc new %p", (void*)task);
     rtListItem_SetData(item, task);
   }
@@ -321,7 +324,10 @@ rtError rtThreadPool_RunTask(rtThreadPool pool, rtThreadPoolFunc func, void* use
   {
     rtLog_Debug("%s creating new thread", __FUNCTION__);
     if((err = rtThreadPool_CreateWorkerThread(pool)) != RT_OK)
-      return err;
+    {
+        pthread_mutex_unlock(&pool->poolLock);
+        return err;
+    }
     if(pool->threadCount == pool->maxThreadCount - 1)
       rtLog_Debug("%s reached max thread count %zu", __FUNCTION__, pool->maxThreadCount);
   }