diff --git a/net/sunrpc/auth_gss/svcauth_gss.c b/net/sunrpc/auth_gss/svcauth_gss.c
index fd897d900d12..85ad23d9a8a9 100644
--- a/net/sunrpc/auth_gss/svcauth_gss.c
+++ b/net/sunrpc/auth_gss/svcauth_gss.c
@@ -1705,11 +1705,14 @@ static int
 svcauth_gss_release(struct svc_rqst *rqstp)
 {
 	struct gss_svc_data *gsd = (struct gss_svc_data *)rqstp->rq_auth_data;
-	struct rpc_gss_wire_cred *gc = &gsd->clcred;
+	struct rpc_gss_wire_cred *gc;
 	struct xdr_buf *resbuf = &rqstp->rq_res;
 	int stat = -EINVAL;
 	struct sunrpc_net *sn = net_generic(SVC_NET(rqstp), sunrpc_net_id);
 
+	if (!gsd)
+		goto out;
+	gc = &gsd->clcred;
 	if (gc->gc_proc != RPC_GSS_PROC_DATA)
 		goto out;
 	/* Release can be called twice, but we only wrap once. */
@@ -1750,10 +1753,10 @@ out_err:
 	if (rqstp->rq_cred.cr_group_info)
 		put_group_info(rqstp->rq_cred.cr_group_info);
 	rqstp->rq_cred.cr_group_info = NULL;
-	if (gsd->rsci)
+	if (gsd && gsd->rsci) {
 		cache_put(&gsd->rsci->h, sn->rsc_cache);
-	gsd->rsci = NULL;
-
+		gsd->rsci = NULL;
+	}
 	return stat;
 }