diff --git a/src/v/raft/group_manager.cc b/src/v/raft/group_manager.cc
index 290cac0f659ee..d0cddb723d610 100644
--- a/src/v/raft/group_manager.cc
+++ b/src/v/raft/group_manager.cc
@@ -143,19 +143,18 @@ ss::future<ss::lw_shared_ptr<raft::consensus>> group_manager::create_group(
       _feature_table,
       _is_ready ? std::nullopt : std::make_optional(min_voter_priority),
       keep_snapshotted_log);
-    return _groups_mutex.with([this, raft = std::move(raft)] {
-        return ss::with_gate(_gate, [this, raft] {
-            return _heartbeats.register_group(raft).then([this, raft] {
-                if (_is_ready) {
-                    // Check _is_ready flag again to guard against the case when
-                    // set_ready() was called after we created this consensus
-                    // instance but before we insert it into the _groups
-                    // collection.
-                    raft->reset_node_priority();
-                }
-                _groups.push_back(raft);
-                return raft;
-            });
+
+    return ss::with_gate(_gate, [this, raft] {
+        return _heartbeats.register_group(raft).then([this, raft] {
+            if (_is_ready) {
+                // Check _is_ready flag again to guard against the case when
+                // set_ready() was called after we created this consensus
+                // instance but before we insert it into the _groups
+                // collection.
+                raft->reset_node_priority();
+            }
+            _groups.push_back(raft);
+            return raft;
         });
     });
 }
@@ -190,30 +189,30 @@ raft::group_configuration group_manager::create_initial_configuration(
 }
 
 ss::future<> group_manager::remove(ss::lw_shared_ptr<raft::consensus> c) {
-    return _groups_mutex.with([this, c = std::move(c)] {
-        return c->stop()
-          .discard_result()
-          .then([c] { return c->remove_persistent_state(); })
-          .then([this, id = c->group()] {
-              return _heartbeats.deregister_group(id);
-          })
-          .finally([this, c] {
-              _groups.erase(
-                std::remove(_groups.begin(), _groups.end(), c), _groups.end());
-          });
-    });
+    return do_shutdown(std::move(c), true).discard_result();
 }
 
 ss::future<xshard_transfer_state>
 group_manager::shutdown(ss::lw_shared_ptr<raft::consensus> c) {
-    auto units = co_await _groups_mutex.get_units();
-
-    auto xst_state = co_await c->stop();
-    co_await _heartbeats.deregister_group(c->group());
-    _groups.erase(
-      std::remove(_groups.begin(), _groups.end(), c), _groups.end());
+    return do_shutdown(std::move(c), false);
+}
 
-    co_return xst_state;
+ss::future<xshard_transfer_state> group_manager::do_shutdown(
+  ss::lw_shared_ptr<raft::consensus> c, bool remove_persistent_state) {
+    const auto group_id = c->group();
+    auto transfer_state = co_await c->stop();
+    if (remove_persistent_state) {
+        co_await c->remove_persistent_state();
+    }
+    co_await _heartbeats.deregister_group(group_id);
+    auto it = std::find(_groups.begin(), _groups.end(), c);
+    vassert(
+      it != _groups.end(),
+      "A consensus instance with group id: {} that is requested to be removed "
+      "must be managed by the manager",
+      group_id);
+    _groups.erase(it);
+    co_return transfer_state;
 }
 
 void group_manager::trigger_leadership_notification(
diff --git a/src/v/raft/group_manager.h b/src/v/raft/group_manager.h
index cdb3e19af4793..3c2d113b12694 100644
--- a/src/v/raft/group_manager.h
+++ b/src/v/raft/group_manager.h
@@ -103,9 +103,11 @@ class group_manager {
     void trigger_config_update_notification();
     void collect_learner_metrics();
 
+    ss::future<xshard_transfer_state>
+    do_shutdown(ss::lw_shared_ptr<consensus>, bool remove_persistent_state);
+
     raft::group_configuration create_initial_configuration(
       std::vector<model::broker>, model::revision_id) const;
-    mutex _groups_mutex{"group_manager"};
     model::node_id _self;
     ss::scheduling_group _raft_sg;
     raft::consensus_client_protocol _client;