diff --git a/driver-bitforce.c b/driver-bitforce.c
index 7424b083..88beed41 100644
--- a/driver-bitforce.c
+++ b/driver-bitforce.c
@@ -241,7 +241,11 @@ static bool bitforce_get_temp(struct cgpu_info *bitforce)
 	if (!fdDev)
 		return false;
 
-	mutex_lock(&bitforce->device_mutex);
+	/* It is not critical getting temperature so don't get stuck if  we
+	 * can't grab the mutex here */
+	if (mutex_trylock(&bitforce->device_mutex))
+		return false;
+
 	BFwrite(fdDev, "ZLX", 3);
 	BFgets(pdevbuf, sizeof(pdevbuf), fdDev);
 	mutex_unlock(&bitforce->device_mutex);
diff --git a/miner.h b/miner.h
index 09cb503c..02c488db 100644
--- a/miner.h
+++ b/miner.h
@@ -500,6 +500,11 @@ static inline void mutex_unlock(pthread_mutex_t *lock)
 		quit(1, "WTF MUTEX ERROR ON UNLOCK!");
 }
 
+static inline int mutex_trylock(pthread_mutex_t *lock)
+{
+	return pthread_mutex_trylock(lock);
+}
+
 static inline void wr_lock(pthread_rwlock_t *lock)
 {
 	if (unlikely(pthread_rwlock_wrlock(lock)))