diff --git a/fs/nfs/delegation.c b/fs/nfs/delegation.c
index 4db912f56230..df77d68d9ff9 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/delegation.c
+++ b/fs/nfs/delegation.c
@@ -590,17 +590,6 @@ static bool nfs_delegation_need_return(struct nfs_delegation *delegation)
 
 	if (test_and_clear_bit(NFS_DELEGATION_RETURN, &delegation->flags))
 		ret = true;
-	else if (test_bit(NFS_DELEGATION_RETURN_IF_CLOSED, &delegation->flags)) {
-		struct inode *inode;
-
-		spin_lock(&delegation->lock);
-		inode = delegation->inode;
-		if (inode && list_empty(&NFS_I(inode)->open_files))
-			ret = true;
-		spin_unlock(&delegation->lock);
-	}
-	if (ret)
-		clear_bit(NFS_DELEGATION_RETURN_IF_CLOSED, &delegation->flags);
 	if (test_bit(NFS_DELEGATION_RETURNING, &delegation->flags) ||
 	    test_bit(NFS_DELEGATION_RETURN_DELAYED, &delegation->flags) ||
 	    test_bit(NFS_DELEGATION_REVOKED, &delegation->flags))
@@ -878,11 +867,25 @@ int nfs4_inode_make_writeable(struct inode *inode)
 	return nfs4_inode_return_delegation(inode);
 }
 
-static void nfs_mark_return_if_closed_delegation(struct nfs_server *server,
-		struct nfs_delegation *delegation)
+static void
+nfs_mark_return_if_closed_delegation(struct nfs_server *server,
+				     struct nfs_delegation *delegation)
 {
-	set_bit(NFS_DELEGATION_RETURN_IF_CLOSED, &delegation->flags);
-	set_bit(NFS4CLNT_DELEGRETURN, &server->nfs_client->cl_state);
+	struct inode *inode;
+
+	if (test_bit(NFS_DELEGATION_RETURN, &delegation->flags) ||
+	    test_bit(NFS_DELEGATION_RETURN_IF_CLOSED, &delegation->flags))
+		return;
+	spin_lock(&delegation->lock);
+	inode = delegation->inode;
+	if (!inode)
+		goto out;
+	if (list_empty(&NFS_I(inode)->open_files))
+		nfs_mark_return_delegation(server, delegation);
+	else
+		set_bit(NFS_DELEGATION_RETURN_IF_CLOSED, &delegation->flags);
+out:
+	spin_unlock(&delegation->lock);
 }
 
 static bool nfs_server_mark_return_all_delegations(struct nfs_server *server)