diff --git a/fs/nfs/client.c b/fs/nfs/client.c
index d322ed5cbc1c..6386875d0a33 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/client.c
+++ b/fs/nfs/client.c
@@ -179,6 +179,7 @@ struct nfs_client *nfs_alloc_client(const struct nfs_client_initdata *cl_init)
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&clp->cl_superblocks);
 	clp->cl_rpcclient = ERR_PTR(-EINVAL);
 
+	clp->cl_flags = cl_init->init_flags;
 	clp->cl_proto = cl_init->proto;
 	clp->cl_net = get_net(cl_init->net);
 
@@ -400,7 +401,6 @@ nfs_get_client(const struct nfs_client_initdata *cl_init,
 			list_add_tail(&new->cl_share_link,
 					&nn->nfs_client_list);
 			spin_unlock(&nn->nfs_client_lock);
-			new->cl_flags = cl_init->init_flags;
 			return rpc_ops->init_client(new, cl_init);
 		}