diff --git a/src/libAtomVM/context.c b/src/libAtomVM/context.c
index 3539f61a9f..b8b29273d5 100644
--- a/src/libAtomVM/context.c
+++ b/src/libAtomVM/context.c
@@ -136,6 +136,9 @@ Context *context_new(GlobalContext *glb)
 
 void context_destroy(Context *ctx)
 {
+    // Hold and release the spin lock for timers and cancel any timer
+    scheduler_cancel_timeout(ctx);
+
     // Another process can get an access to our mailbox until this point.
     struct ListHead *processes_table_list = synclist_wrlock(&ctx->global->processes_table);
     UNUSED(processes_table_list);
@@ -279,10 +282,6 @@ void context_destroy(Context *ctx)
 
     dictionary_destroy(&ctx->dictionary);
 
-    if (ctx->timer_list_head.head.next != &ctx->timer_list_head.head) {
-        scheduler_cancel_timeout(ctx);
-    }
-
     // Platform data is freed here to allow drivers to use the
     // globalcontext_get_process_lock lock to protect this pointer
     // Typically, another thread or an interrupt would call