diff --git a/net/ipv4/tcp_input.c b/net/ipv4/tcp_input.c
index d2b1c39c4223..29f3df4ddd1f 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/tcp_input.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/tcp_input.c
@@ -932,9 +932,10 @@ static void tcp_update_reordering(struct sock *sk, const int metric,
 /* This must be called before lost_out is incremented */
 static void tcp_verify_retransmit_hint(struct tcp_sock *tp, struct sk_buff *skb)
 {
-	if (!tp->retransmit_skb_hint ||
-	    before(TCP_SKB_CB(skb)->seq,
-		   TCP_SKB_CB(tp->retransmit_skb_hint)->seq))
+	if ((!tp->retransmit_skb_hint && tp->retrans_out >= tp->lost_out) ||
+	    (tp->retransmit_skb_hint &&
+	     before(TCP_SKB_CB(skb)->seq,
+		    TCP_SKB_CB(tp->retransmit_skb_hint)->seq)))
 		tp->retransmit_skb_hint = skb;
 }