diff --git a/fs/smb/client/connect.c b/fs/smb/client/connect.c
index a482afa3fa42..2f5be7dcd1f9 100644
--- a/fs/smb/client/connect.c
+++ b/fs/smb/client/connect.c
@@ -388,7 +388,13 @@ static int __cifs_reconnect(struct TCP_Server_Info *server,
 			spin_unlock(&server->srv_lock);
 			cifs_swn_reset_server_dstaddr(server);
 			cifs_server_unlock(server);
-			mod_delayed_work(cifsiod_wq, &server->reconnect, 0);
+
+			/* increase ref count which reconnect work will drop */
+			spin_lock(&cifs_tcp_ses_lock);
+			server->srv_count++;
+			spin_unlock(&cifs_tcp_ses_lock);
+			if (mod_delayed_work(cifsiod_wq, &server->reconnect, 0))
+				cifs_put_tcp_session(server, false);
 		}
 	} while (server->tcpStatus == CifsNeedReconnect);
 
@@ -518,7 +524,13 @@ static int reconnect_dfs_server(struct TCP_Server_Info *server)
 		spin_unlock(&server->srv_lock);
 		cifs_swn_reset_server_dstaddr(server);
 		cifs_server_unlock(server);
-		mod_delayed_work(cifsiod_wq, &server->reconnect, 0);
+
+		/* increase ref count which reconnect work will drop */
+		spin_lock(&cifs_tcp_ses_lock);
+		server->srv_count++;
+		spin_unlock(&cifs_tcp_ses_lock);
+		if (mod_delayed_work(cifsiod_wq, &server->reconnect, 0))
+			cifs_put_tcp_session(server, false);
 	} while (server->tcpStatus == CifsNeedReconnect);
 
 	mutex_lock(&server->refpath_lock);
@@ -1605,16 +1617,19 @@ cifs_put_tcp_session(struct TCP_Server_Info *server, int from_reconnect)
 
 	cancel_delayed_work_sync(&server->echo);
 
-	if (from_reconnect)
+	if (from_reconnect) {
 		/*
 		 * Avoid deadlock here: reconnect work calls
 		 * cifs_put_tcp_session() at its end. Need to be sure
 		 * that reconnect work does nothing with server pointer after
 		 * that step.
 		 */
-		cancel_delayed_work(&server->reconnect);
-	else
-		cancel_delayed_work_sync(&server->reconnect);
+		if (cancel_delayed_work(&server->reconnect))
+			cifs_put_tcp_session(server, from_reconnect);
+	} else {
+		if (cancel_delayed_work_sync(&server->reconnect))
+			cifs_put_tcp_session(server, from_reconnect);
+	}
 
 	spin_lock(&server->srv_lock);
 	server->tcpStatus = CifsExiting;
diff --git a/fs/smb/client/smb2pdu.c b/fs/smb/client/smb2pdu.c
index 888eb59ad86f..0274ef67457b 100644
--- a/fs/smb/client/smb2pdu.c
+++ b/fs/smb/client/smb2pdu.c
@@ -3879,12 +3879,6 @@ void smb2_reconnect_server(struct work_struct *work)
 		}
 		spin_unlock(&ses->chan_lock);
 	}
-	/*
-	 * Get the reference to server struct to be sure that the last call of
-	 * cifs_put_tcon() in the loop below won't release the server pointer.
-	 */
-	if (tcon_exist || ses_exist)
-		server->srv_count++;
 
 	spin_unlock(&cifs_tcp_ses_lock);
 
@@ -3932,13 +3926,17 @@ void smb2_reconnect_server(struct work_struct *work)
 
 done:
 	cifs_dbg(FYI, "Reconnecting tcons and channels finished\n");
-	if (resched)
+	if (resched) {
 		queue_delayed_work(cifsiod_wq, &server->reconnect, 2 * HZ);
+		mutex_unlock(&pserver->reconnect_mutex);
+
+		/* no need to put tcp session as we're retrying */
+		return;
+	}
 	mutex_unlock(&pserver->reconnect_mutex);
 
 	/* now we can safely release srv struct */
-	if (tcon_exist || ses_exist)
-		cifs_put_tcp_session(server, 1);
+	cifs_put_tcp_session(server, true);
 }
 
 int
@@ -3958,7 +3956,12 @@ SMB2_echo(struct TCP_Server_Info *server)
 	    server->ops->need_neg(server)) {
 		spin_unlock(&server->srv_lock);
 		/* No need to send echo on newly established connections */
-		mod_delayed_work(cifsiod_wq, &server->reconnect, 0);
+		spin_lock(&cifs_tcp_ses_lock);
+		server->srv_count++;
+		spin_unlock(&cifs_tcp_ses_lock);
+		if (mod_delayed_work(cifsiod_wq, &server->reconnect, 0))
+			cifs_put_tcp_session(server, false);
+
 		return rc;
 	}
 	spin_unlock(&server->srv_lock);