diff --git a/drivers/can/can_mcan.c b/drivers/can/can_mcan.c
index 5da5585b933..0e10e90219f 100644
--- a/drivers/can/can_mcan.c
+++ b/drivers/can/can_mcan.c
@@ -912,7 +912,7 @@ int can_mcan_send(const struct device *dev, const struct can_frame *frame, k_tim
 				  &tx_hdr, sizeof(struct can_mcan_tx_buffer_hdr));
 	if (err != 0) {
 		LOG_ERR("failed to write Tx Buffer header (err %d)", err);
-		goto unlock;
+		goto err_unlock;
 	}
 
 	err = can_mcan_write_mram(dev, config->mram_offsets[CAN_MCAN_MRAM_CFG_TX_BUFFER] + put_idx *
@@ -921,7 +921,7 @@ int can_mcan_send(const struct device *dev, const struct can_frame *frame, k_tim
 				  &frame->data_32, ROUND_UP(data_length, sizeof(uint32_t)));
 	if (err != 0) {
 		LOG_ERR("failed to write Tx Buffer data (err %d)", err);
-		goto unlock;
+		goto err_unlock;
 	}
 
 	__ASSERT_NO_MSG(put_idx <= cbs->num_tx);
@@ -930,11 +930,15 @@ int can_mcan_send(const struct device *dev, const struct can_frame *frame, k_tim
 
 	err = can_mcan_write_reg(dev, CAN_MCAN_TXBAR, BIT(put_idx));
 	if (err != 0) {
-		goto unlock;
+		goto err_unlock;
 	}
 
-unlock:
 	k_mutex_unlock(&data->tx_mtx);
+	return 0;
+
+err_unlock:
+	k_mutex_unlock(&data->tx_mtx);
+	k_sem_give(&data->tx_sem);
 
 	return err;
 }