diff --git a/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/lnet/acceptor.c b/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/lnet/acceptor.c
index 07df727e0c56..9fe3ff7f9024 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/lnet/acceptor.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/lnet/acceptor.c
@@ -46,7 +46,9 @@ static struct {
 	int			pta_shutdown;
 	struct socket		*pta_sock;
 	struct completion	pta_signal;
-} lnet_acceptor_state;
+} lnet_acceptor_state = {
+	.pta_shutdown = 1
+};
 
 int
 lnet_acceptor_port(void)
@@ -444,6 +446,10 @@ lnet_acceptor_start(void)
 	long rc2;
 	long secure;
 
+	/* if acceptor is already running return immediately */
+	if (!lnet_acceptor_state.pta_shutdown)
+		return 0;
+
 	LASSERT(!lnet_acceptor_state.pta_sock);
 
 	rc = lnet_acceptor_get_tunables();
@@ -484,7 +490,7 @@ lnet_acceptor_start(void)
 void
 lnet_acceptor_stop(void)
 {
-	if (!lnet_acceptor_state.pta_sock) /* not running */
+	if (lnet_acceptor_state.pta_shutdown) /* not running */
 		return;
 
 	lnet_acceptor_state.pta_shutdown = 1;
diff --git a/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/lnet/api-ni.c b/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/lnet/api-ni.c
index f223d5d5a6f3..9497ce1cb458 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/lnet/api-ni.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/lnet/api-ni.c
@@ -1785,6 +1785,16 @@ lnet_dyn_add_ni(lnet_pid_t requested_pid, char *nets,
 	if (rc)
 		goto failed1;
 
+	if (ni->ni_lnd->lnd_accept) {
+		rc = lnet_acceptor_start();
+		if (rc < 0) {
+			/* shutdown the ni that we just started */
+			CERROR("Failed to start up acceptor thread\n");
+			lnet_shutdown_lndni(ni);
+			goto failed1;
+		}
+	}
+
 	lnet_ping_target_update(pinfo, md_handle);
 	mutex_unlock(&the_lnet.ln_api_mutex);
 
@@ -1832,6 +1842,10 @@ lnet_dyn_del_ni(__u32 net)
 	lnet_ni_decref_locked(ni, 0);
 
 	lnet_shutdown_lndni(ni);
+
+	if (!lnet_count_acceptor_nis())
+		lnet_acceptor_stop();
+
 	lnet_ping_target_update(pinfo, md_handle);
 	goto out;
 failed: