diff --git a/fs/smb/client/cifs_debug.c b/fs/smb/client/cifs_debug.c
index a2584ad8808a..3230ed7eadde 100644
--- a/fs/smb/client/cifs_debug.c
+++ b/fs/smb/client/cifs_debug.c
@@ -138,6 +138,11 @@ cifs_dump_channel(struct seq_file *m, int i, struct cifs_chan *chan)
 {
 	struct TCP_Server_Info *server = chan->server;
 
+	if (!server) {
+		seq_printf(m, "\n\n\t\tChannel: %d DISABLED", i+1);
+		return;
+	}
+
 	seq_printf(m, "\n\n\t\tChannel: %d ConnectionId: 0x%llx"
 		   "\n\t\tNumber of credits: %d,%d,%d Dialect 0x%x"
 		   "\n\t\tTCP status: %d Instance: %d"
diff --git a/fs/smb/client/cifsglob.h b/fs/smb/client/cifsglob.h
index ec1e5e20a36b..e3ef8eee68d1 100644
--- a/fs/smb/client/cifsglob.h
+++ b/fs/smb/client/cifsglob.h
@@ -1060,6 +1060,7 @@ struct cifs_ses {
 	spinlock_t chan_lock;
 	/* ========= begin: protected by chan_lock ======== */
 #define CIFS_MAX_CHANNELS 16
+#define CIFS_INVAL_CHAN_INDEX (-1)
 #define CIFS_ALL_CHANNELS_SET(ses)	\
 	((1UL << (ses)->chan_count) - 1)
 #define CIFS_ALL_CHANS_GOOD(ses)		\
diff --git a/fs/smb/client/cifsproto.h b/fs/smb/client/cifsproto.h
index c858feaf4f92..0eb62ccd476f 100644
--- a/fs/smb/client/cifsproto.h
+++ b/fs/smb/client/cifsproto.h
@@ -622,7 +622,7 @@ bool is_server_using_iface(struct TCP_Server_Info *server,
 bool is_ses_using_iface(struct cifs_ses *ses, struct cifs_server_iface *iface);
 void cifs_ses_mark_for_reconnect(struct cifs_ses *ses);
 
-unsigned int
+int
 cifs_ses_get_chan_index(struct cifs_ses *ses,
 			struct TCP_Server_Info *server);
 void
diff --git a/fs/smb/client/connect.c b/fs/smb/client/connect.c
index b82f60d6f47e..a482afa3fa42 100644
--- a/fs/smb/client/connect.c
+++ b/fs/smb/client/connect.c
@@ -169,8 +169,12 @@ cifs_signal_cifsd_for_reconnect(struct TCP_Server_Info *server,
 	list_for_each_entry(ses, &pserver->smb_ses_list, smb_ses_list) {
 		spin_lock(&ses->chan_lock);
 		for (i = 0; i < ses->chan_count; i++) {
+			if (!ses->chans[i].server)
+				continue;
+
 			spin_lock(&ses->chans[i].server->srv_lock);
-			ses->chans[i].server->tcpStatus = CifsNeedReconnect;
+			if (ses->chans[i].server->tcpStatus != CifsExiting)
+				ses->chans[i].server->tcpStatus = CifsNeedReconnect;
 			spin_unlock(&ses->chans[i].server->srv_lock);
 		}
 		spin_unlock(&ses->chan_lock);
diff --git a/fs/smb/client/sess.c b/fs/smb/client/sess.c
index 80050e36f045..650a3ec9e6e5 100644
--- a/fs/smb/client/sess.c
+++ b/fs/smb/client/sess.c
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ bool is_ses_using_iface(struct cifs_ses *ses, struct cifs_server_iface *iface)
 
 /* channel helper functions. assumed that chan_lock is held by caller. */
 
-unsigned int
+int
 cifs_ses_get_chan_index(struct cifs_ses *ses,
 			struct TCP_Server_Info *server)
 {
@@ -85,14 +85,17 @@ cifs_ses_get_chan_index(struct cifs_ses *ses,
 		cifs_dbg(VFS, "unable to get chan index for server: 0x%llx",
 			 server->conn_id);
 	WARN_ON(1);
-	return 0;
+	return CIFS_INVAL_CHAN_INDEX;
 }
 
 void
 cifs_chan_set_in_reconnect(struct cifs_ses *ses,
 			     struct TCP_Server_Info *server)
 {
-	unsigned int chan_index = cifs_ses_get_chan_index(ses, server);
+	int chan_index = cifs_ses_get_chan_index(ses, server);
+
+	if (chan_index == CIFS_INVAL_CHAN_INDEX)
+		return;
 
 	ses->chans[chan_index].in_reconnect = true;
 }
@@ -102,6 +105,8 @@ cifs_chan_clear_in_reconnect(struct cifs_ses *ses,
 			     struct TCP_Server_Info *server)
 {
 	unsigned int chan_index = cifs_ses_get_chan_index(ses, server);
+	if (chan_index == CIFS_INVAL_CHAN_INDEX)
+		return;
 
 	ses->chans[chan_index].in_reconnect = false;
 }
@@ -111,6 +116,8 @@ cifs_chan_in_reconnect(struct cifs_ses *ses,
 			  struct TCP_Server_Info *server)
 {
 	unsigned int chan_index = cifs_ses_get_chan_index(ses, server);
+	if (chan_index == CIFS_INVAL_CHAN_INDEX)
+		return true;	/* err on the safer side */
 
 	return CIFS_CHAN_IN_RECONNECT(ses, chan_index);
 }
@@ -120,6 +127,8 @@ cifs_chan_set_need_reconnect(struct cifs_ses *ses,
 			     struct TCP_Server_Info *server)
 {
 	unsigned int chan_index = cifs_ses_get_chan_index(ses, server);
+	if (chan_index == CIFS_INVAL_CHAN_INDEX)
+		return;
 
 	set_bit(chan_index, &ses->chans_need_reconnect);
 	cifs_dbg(FYI, "Set reconnect bitmask for chan %u; now 0x%lx\n",
@@ -131,6 +140,8 @@ cifs_chan_clear_need_reconnect(struct cifs_ses *ses,
 			       struct TCP_Server_Info *server)
 {
 	unsigned int chan_index = cifs_ses_get_chan_index(ses, server);
+	if (chan_index == CIFS_INVAL_CHAN_INDEX)
+		return;
 
 	clear_bit(chan_index, &ses->chans_need_reconnect);
 	cifs_dbg(FYI, "Cleared reconnect bitmask for chan %u; now 0x%lx\n",
@@ -142,6 +153,8 @@ cifs_chan_needs_reconnect(struct cifs_ses *ses,
 			  struct TCP_Server_Info *server)
 {
 	unsigned int chan_index = cifs_ses_get_chan_index(ses, server);
+	if (chan_index == CIFS_INVAL_CHAN_INDEX)
+		return true;	/* err on the safer side */
 
 	return CIFS_CHAN_NEEDS_RECONNECT(ses, chan_index);
 }
@@ -151,6 +164,8 @@ cifs_chan_is_iface_active(struct cifs_ses *ses,
 			  struct TCP_Server_Info *server)
 {
 	unsigned int chan_index = cifs_ses_get_chan_index(ses, server);
+	if (chan_index == CIFS_INVAL_CHAN_INDEX)
+		return true;	/* err on the safer side */
 
 	return ses->chans[chan_index].iface &&
 		ses->chans[chan_index].iface->is_active;
@@ -293,7 +308,7 @@ cifs_chan_update_iface(struct cifs_ses *ses, struct TCP_Server_Info *server)
 
 	spin_lock(&ses->chan_lock);
 	chan_index = cifs_ses_get_chan_index(ses, server);
-	if (!chan_index) {
+	if (chan_index == CIFS_INVAL_CHAN_INDEX) {
 		spin_unlock(&ses->chan_lock);
 		return 0;
 	}
@@ -403,6 +418,11 @@ cifs_chan_update_iface(struct cifs_ses *ses, struct TCP_Server_Info *server)
 
 	spin_lock(&ses->chan_lock);
 	chan_index = cifs_ses_get_chan_index(ses, server);
+	if (chan_index == CIFS_INVAL_CHAN_INDEX) {
+		spin_unlock(&ses->chan_lock);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
 	ses->chans[chan_index].iface = iface;
 
 	/* No iface is found. if secondary chan, drop connection */
diff --git a/fs/smb/client/smb2transport.c b/fs/smb/client/smb2transport.c
index a136fc4cc2b5..5a3ca62d2f07 100644
--- a/fs/smb/client/smb2transport.c
+++ b/fs/smb/client/smb2transport.c
@@ -413,7 +413,13 @@ generate_smb3signingkey(struct cifs_ses *ses,
 		      ses->ses_status == SES_GOOD);
 
 	chan_index = cifs_ses_get_chan_index(ses, server);
-	/* TODO: introduce ref counting for channels when the can be freed */
+	if (chan_index == CIFS_INVAL_CHAN_INDEX) {
+		spin_unlock(&ses->chan_lock);
+		spin_unlock(&ses->ses_lock);
+
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
 	spin_unlock(&ses->chan_lock);
 	spin_unlock(&ses->ses_lock);