diff --git a/net/sctp/sm_sideeffect.c b/net/sctp/sm_sideeffect.c
index 94716406d602..0d99b7e8c082 100644
--- a/net/sctp/sm_sideeffect.c
+++ b/net/sctp/sm_sideeffect.c
@@ -1545,17 +1545,8 @@ static int sctp_cmd_interpreter(enum sctp_event_type event_type,
 			timeout = asoc->timeouts[cmd->obj.to];
 			BUG_ON(!timeout);
 
-			/*
-			 * SCTP has a hard time with timer starts.  Because we process
-			 * timer starts as side effects, it can be hard to tell if we
-			 * have already started a timer or not, which leads to BUG
-			 * halts when we call add_timer. So here, instead of just starting
-			 * a timer, if the timer is already started, and just mod
-			 * the timer with the shorter of the two expiration times
-			 */
-			if (!timer_pending(timer))
+			if (!timer_reduce(timer, jiffies + timeout))
 				sctp_association_hold(asoc);
-			timer_reduce(timer, jiffies + timeout);
 			break;
 
 		case SCTP_CMD_TIMER_RESTART: