diff --git a/include/linux/tcp.h b/include/linux/tcp.h
index 53eb9fecd263..e3e59a0ee16f 100644
--- a/include/linux/tcp.h
+++ b/include/linux/tcp.h
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ struct tcp_sock {
 	u32	packets_out;	/* Packets which are "in flight"	*/
 	u32	retrans_out;	/* Retransmitted packets out		*/
 	u32	max_packets_out;  /* max packets_out in last window */
-	u32	max_packets_seq;  /* right edge of max_packets_out flight */
+	u32	cwnd_usage_seq;  /* right edge of cwnd usage tracking flight */
 
 	u16	urg_data;	/* Saved octet of OOB data and control flags */
 	u8	ecn_flags;	/* ECN status bits.			*/
diff --git a/include/net/tcp.h b/include/net/tcp.h
index 164dc4f04d0f..80ef46dd4930 100644
--- a/include/net/tcp.h
+++ b/include/net/tcp.h
@@ -1155,11 +1155,14 @@ static inline bool tcp_is_cwnd_limited(const struct sock *sk)
 {
 	const struct tcp_sock *tp = tcp_sk(sk);
 
+	if (tp->is_cwnd_limited)
+		return true;
+
 	/* If in slow start, ensure cwnd grows to twice what was ACKed. */
 	if (tcp_in_slow_start(tp))
 		return tp->snd_cwnd < 2 * tp->max_packets_out;
 
-	return tp->is_cwnd_limited;
+	return false;
 }
 
 /* Something is really bad, we could not queue an additional packet,
diff --git a/net/ipv4/tcp.c b/net/ipv4/tcp.c
index 6dfb964e1ad8..7a75eb177878 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/tcp.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/tcp.c
@@ -2299,6 +2299,8 @@ int tcp_disconnect(struct sock *sk, int flags)
 	tp->packets_out = 0;
 	tp->snd_ssthresh = TCP_INFINITE_SSTHRESH;
 	tp->snd_cwnd_cnt = 0;
+	tp->is_cwnd_limited = 0;
+	tp->max_packets_out = 0;
 	tp->window_clamp = 0;
 	tp->delivered = 0;
 	if (icsk->icsk_ca_ops->release)
diff --git a/net/ipv4/tcp_output.c b/net/ipv4/tcp_output.c
index 49061c3fc218..1acf67f0d3cf 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/tcp_output.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/tcp_output.c
@@ -1530,15 +1530,20 @@ static void tcp_cwnd_validate(struct sock *sk, bool is_cwnd_limited)
 {
 	struct tcp_sock *tp = tcp_sk(sk);
 
-	/* Track the maximum number of outstanding packets in each
-	 * window, and remember whether we were cwnd-limited then.
+	/* Track the strongest available signal of the degree to which the cwnd
+	 * is fully utilized. If cwnd-limited then remember that fact for the
+	 * current window. If not cwnd-limited then track the maximum number of
+	 * outstanding packets in the current window. (If cwnd-limited then we
+	 * chose to not update tp->max_packets_out to avoid an extra else
+	 * clause with no functional impact.)
 	 */
-	if (!before(tp->snd_una, tp->max_packets_seq) ||
-	    tp->packets_out > tp->max_packets_out ||
-	    is_cwnd_limited) {
-		tp->max_packets_out = tp->packets_out;
-		tp->max_packets_seq = tp->snd_nxt;
+	if (!before(tp->snd_una, tp->cwnd_usage_seq) ||
+	    is_cwnd_limited ||
+	    (!tp->is_cwnd_limited &&
+	     tp->packets_out > tp->max_packets_out)) {
 		tp->is_cwnd_limited = is_cwnd_limited;
+		tp->max_packets_out = tp->packets_out;
+		tp->cwnd_usage_seq = tp->snd_nxt;
 	}
 
 	if (tcp_is_cwnd_limited(sk)) {