diff --git a/net/sunrpc/svcsock.c b/net/sunrpc/svcsock.c
index d52abde51f1b..aeb0b3e48ad5 100644
--- a/net/sunrpc/svcsock.c
+++ b/net/sunrpc/svcsock.c
@@ -728,12 +728,6 @@ static void svc_tcp_listen_data_ready(struct sock *sk)
 	dprintk("svc: socket %p TCP (listen) state change %d\n",
 		sk, sk->sk_state);
 
-	if (svsk) {
-		/* Refer to svc_setup_socket() for details. */
-		rmb();
-		svsk->sk_odata(sk);
-	}
-
 	/*
 	 * This callback may called twice when a new connection
 	 * is established as a child socket inherits everything
@@ -742,15 +736,20 @@ static void svc_tcp_listen_data_ready(struct sock *sk)
 	 *    when one of child sockets become ESTABLISHED.
 	 * 2) data_ready method of the child socket may be called
 	 *    when it receives data before the socket is accepted.
-	 * In case of 2, we should ignore it silently.
+	 * In case of 2, we should ignore it silently and DO NOT
+	 * dereference svsk.
 	 */
-	if (sk->sk_state == TCP_LISTEN) {
-		if (svsk) {
-			set_bit(XPT_CONN, &svsk->sk_xprt.xpt_flags);
-			svc_xprt_enqueue(&svsk->sk_xprt);
-		} else
-			printk("svc: socket %p: no user data\n", sk);
-	}
+	if (sk->sk_state != TCP_LISTEN)
+		return;
+
+	if (svsk) {
+		/* Refer to svc_setup_socket() for details. */
+		rmb();
+		svsk->sk_odata(sk);
+		set_bit(XPT_CONN, &svsk->sk_xprt.xpt_flags);
+		svc_xprt_enqueue(&svsk->sk_xprt);
+	} else
+		printk("svc: socket %p: no user data\n", sk);
 }
 
 /*