diff --git a/fs/nfsd/nfs4state.c b/fs/nfsd/nfs4state.c
index 2e27430b9070..3e5cbfe8a967 100644
--- a/fs/nfsd/nfs4state.c
+++ b/fs/nfsd/nfs4state.c
@@ -864,7 +864,7 @@ static void free_session(struct kref *kref)
 	__free_session(ses);
 }
 
-void nfsd4_put_session(struct nfsd4_session *ses)
+static void nfsd4_put_session(struct nfsd4_session *ses)
 {
 	struct nfsd_net *nn = net_generic(ses->se_client->net, nfsd_net_id);
 
@@ -1057,12 +1057,16 @@ release_session_client(struct nfsd4_session *session)
 	struct nfs4_client *clp = session->se_client;
 	struct nfsd_net *nn = net_generic(clp->net, nfsd_net_id);
 
+	nfsd4_put_session(session);
 	if (!atomic_dec_and_lock(&clp->cl_refcount, &nn->client_lock))
 		return;
-	if (is_client_expired(clp)) {
+	/*
+	 * At this point we also know all sessions have refcnt 1,
+	 * so free_client will delete them all if necessary:
+	 */
+	if (is_client_expired(clp))
 		free_client(clp);
-		session->se_client = NULL;
-	} else
+	else
 		renew_client_locked(clp);
 	spin_unlock(&nn->client_lock);
 }
diff --git a/fs/nfsd/nfs4xdr.c b/fs/nfsd/nfs4xdr.c
index 229b3ac246e1..9b02b6652f2b 100644
--- a/fs/nfsd/nfs4xdr.c
+++ b/fs/nfsd/nfs4xdr.c
@@ -3685,7 +3685,6 @@ nfs4svc_encode_compoundres(struct svc_rqst *rqstp, __be32 *p, struct nfsd4_compo
 		}
 		/* Renew the clientid on success and on replay */
 		release_session_client(cs->session);
-		nfsd4_put_session(cs->session);
 	}
 	return 1;
 }
diff --git a/fs/nfsd/state.h b/fs/nfsd/state.h
index 1a8c7391f7ae..327552bb6dba 100644
--- a/fs/nfsd/state.h
+++ b/fs/nfsd/state.h
@@ -209,8 +209,6 @@ struct nfsd4_session {
 	struct nfsd4_slot	*se_slots[];	/* forward channel slots */
 };
 
-extern void nfsd4_put_session(struct nfsd4_session *ses);
-
 /* formatted contents of nfs4_sessionid */
 struct nfsd4_sessionid {
 	clientid_t	clientid;