diff --git a/net/sunrpc/rpc_pipe.c b/net/sunrpc/rpc_pipe.c
index 6873c9b..b67b2ae 100644
--- a/net/sunrpc/rpc_pipe.c
+++ b/net/sunrpc/rpc_pipe.c
@@ -174,6 +174,7 @@
 		pipe->ops->release_pipe(inode);
 	cancel_delayed_work_sync(&pipe->queue_timeout);
 	rpc_inode_setowner(inode, NULL);
+	RPC_I(inode)->pipe = NULL;
 	mutex_unlock(&inode->i_mutex);
 }
 
@@ -203,12 +204,13 @@
 static int
 rpc_pipe_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *filp)
 {
-	struct rpc_pipe *pipe = RPC_I(inode)->pipe;
+	struct rpc_pipe *pipe;
 	int first_open;
 	int res = -ENXIO;
 
 	mutex_lock(&inode->i_mutex);
-	if (pipe->dentry == NULL)
+	pipe = RPC_I(inode)->pipe;
+	if (pipe == NULL)
 		goto out;
 	first_open = pipe->nreaders == 0 && pipe->nwriters == 0;
 	if (first_open && pipe->ops->open_pipe) {
@@ -229,12 +231,13 @@
 static int
 rpc_pipe_release(struct inode *inode, struct file *filp)
 {
-	struct rpc_pipe *pipe = RPC_I(inode)->pipe;
+	struct rpc_pipe *pipe;
 	struct rpc_pipe_msg *msg;
 	int last_close;
 
 	mutex_lock(&inode->i_mutex);
-	if (pipe->dentry == NULL)
+	pipe = RPC_I(inode)->pipe;
+	if (pipe == NULL)
 		goto out;
 	msg = filp->private_data;
 	if (msg != NULL) {
@@ -270,12 +273,13 @@
 rpc_pipe_read(struct file *filp, char __user *buf, size_t len, loff_t *offset)
 {
 	struct inode *inode = filp->f_path.dentry->d_inode;
-	struct rpc_pipe *pipe = RPC_I(inode)->pipe;
+	struct rpc_pipe *pipe;
 	struct rpc_pipe_msg *msg;
 	int res = 0;
 
 	mutex_lock(&inode->i_mutex);
-	if (pipe->dentry == NULL) {
+	pipe = RPC_I(inode)->pipe;
+	if (pipe == NULL) {
 		res = -EPIPE;
 		goto out_unlock;
 	}
@@ -313,13 +317,12 @@
 rpc_pipe_write(struct file *filp, const char __user *buf, size_t len, loff_t *offset)
 {
 	struct inode *inode = filp->f_path.dentry->d_inode;
-	struct rpc_pipe *pipe = RPC_I(inode)->pipe;
 	int res;
 
 	mutex_lock(&inode->i_mutex);
 	res = -EPIPE;
-	if (pipe->dentry != NULL)
-		res = pipe->ops->downcall(filp, buf, len);
+	if (RPC_I(inode)->pipe != NULL)
+		res = RPC_I(inode)->pipe->ops->downcall(filp, buf, len);
 	mutex_unlock(&inode->i_mutex);
 	return res;
 }
@@ -344,16 +347,18 @@
 rpc_pipe_ioctl(struct file *filp, unsigned int cmd, unsigned long arg)
 {
 	struct inode *inode = filp->f_path.dentry->d_inode;
-	struct rpc_pipe *pipe = RPC_I(inode)->pipe;
+	struct rpc_pipe *pipe;
 	int len;
 
 	switch (cmd) {
 	case FIONREAD:
-		spin_lock(&pipe->lock);
-		if (pipe->dentry == NULL) {
-			spin_unlock(&pipe->lock);
+		mutex_lock(&inode->i_mutex);
+		pipe = RPC_I(inode)->pipe;
+		if (pipe == NULL) {
+			mutex_unlock(&inode->i_mutex);
 			return -EPIPE;
 		}
+		spin_lock(&pipe->lock);
 		len = pipe->pipelen;
 		if (filp->private_data) {
 			struct rpc_pipe_msg *msg;
@@ -361,6 +366,7 @@
 			len += msg->len - msg->copied;
 		}
 		spin_unlock(&pipe->lock);
+		mutex_unlock(&inode->i_mutex);
 		return put_user(len, (int __user *)arg);
 	default:
 		return -EINVAL;