diff --git a/fs/nfs/delegation.c b/fs/nfs/delegation.c
index 9546d2195c25..284437fa3f87 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/delegation.c
+++ b/fs/nfs/delegation.c
@@ -447,11 +447,14 @@ int nfs_inode_set_delegation(struct inode *inode, const struct cred *cred,
 	struct nfs_inode *nfsi = NFS_I(inode);
 	struct nfs_delegation *delegation, *old_delegation;
 	struct nfs_delegation *freeme = NULL;
+	bool orphaned = false;
 	int status = 0;
 
 	delegation = kmalloc_obj(*delegation, GFP_KERNEL_ACCOUNT);
-	if (delegation == NULL)
+	if (delegation == NULL) {
+		nfs4_proc_delegreturn(inode, cred, stateid, NULL, 0);
 		return -ENOMEM;
+	}
 	nfs4_stateid_copy(&delegation->stateid, stateid);
 	refcount_set(&delegation->refcount, 1);
 	delegation->type = type;
@@ -500,11 +503,15 @@ int nfs_inode_set_delegation(struct inode *inode, const struct cred *cred,
 			goto out;
 		}
 		if (test_and_set_bit(NFS_DELEGATION_RETURNING,
-					&old_delegation->flags))
+					&old_delegation->flags)) {
+			orphaned = true;
 			goto out;
+		}
 	}
-	if (!nfs_detach_delegations_locked(nfsi, old_delegation, clp))
+	if (!nfs_detach_delegations_locked(nfsi, old_delegation, clp)) {
+		orphaned = true;
 		goto out;
+	}
 	freeme = old_delegation;
 add_new:
 	/*
@@ -539,8 +546,11 @@ int nfs_inode_set_delegation(struct inode *inode, const struct cred *cred,
 		nfs_update_delegated_mtime(inode);
 out:
 	spin_unlock(&clp->cl_lock);
-	if (delegation != NULL)
+	if (delegation != NULL) {
+		if (orphaned)
+			nfs_do_return_delegation(inode, delegation, 0);
 		__nfs_free_delegation(delegation);
+	}
 	if (freeme != NULL) {
 		nfs_do_return_delegation(inode, freeme, 0);
 		nfs_mark_delegation_revoked(server, freeme);