diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/core/iwcm.c b/drivers/infiniband/core/iwcm.c
index 62410578dec3..eb942ab9c405 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/core/iwcm.c
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/core/iwcm.c
@@ -95,7 +95,6 @@ static struct workqueue_struct *iwcm_wq;
 struct iwcm_work {
 	struct work_struct work;
 	struct iwcm_id_private *cm_id;
-	struct list_head list;
 	struct iw_cm_event event;
 	struct list_head free_list;
 };
@@ -178,7 +177,6 @@ static int alloc_work_entries(struct iwcm_id_private *cm_id_priv, int count)
 			return -ENOMEM;
 		}
 		work->cm_id = cm_id_priv;
-		INIT_LIST_HEAD(&work->list);
 		put_work(work);
 	}
 	return 0;
@@ -213,7 +211,6 @@ static void free_cm_id(struct iwcm_id_private *cm_id_priv)
 static bool iwcm_deref_id(struct iwcm_id_private *cm_id_priv)
 {
 	if (refcount_dec_and_test(&cm_id_priv->refcount)) {
-		BUG_ON(!list_empty(&cm_id_priv->work_list));
 		free_cm_id(cm_id_priv);
 		return true;
 	}
@@ -260,7 +257,6 @@ struct iw_cm_id *iw_create_cm_id(struct ib_device *device,
 	refcount_set(&cm_id_priv->refcount, 1);
 	init_waitqueue_head(&cm_id_priv->connect_wait);
 	init_completion(&cm_id_priv->destroy_comp);
-	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&cm_id_priv->work_list);
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&cm_id_priv->work_free_list);
 
 	return &cm_id_priv->id;
@@ -1007,13 +1003,13 @@ static int process_event(struct iwcm_id_private *cm_id_priv,
 }
 
 /*
- * Process events on the work_list for the cm_id. If the callback
- * function requests that the cm_id be deleted, a flag is set in the
- * cm_id flags to indicate that when the last reference is
- * removed, the cm_id is to be destroyed. This is necessary to
- * distinguish between an object that will be destroyed by the app
- * thread asleep on the destroy_comp list vs. an object destroyed
- * here synchronously when the last reference is removed.
+ * Process events for the cm_id. If the callback function requests
+ * that the cm_id be deleted, a flag is set in the cm_id flags to
+ * indicate that when the last reference is removed, the cm_id is
+ * to be destroyed. This is necessary to distinguish between an
+ * object that will be destroyed by the app thread asleep on the
+ * destroy_comp list vs. an object destroyed here synchronously
+ * when the last reference is removed.
  */
 static void cm_work_handler(struct work_struct *_work)
 {
@@ -1024,35 +1020,26 @@ static void cm_work_handler(struct work_struct *_work)
 	int ret = 0;
 
 	spin_lock_irqsave(&cm_id_priv->lock, flags);
-	while (!list_empty(&cm_id_priv->work_list)) {
-		work = list_first_entry(&cm_id_priv->work_list,
-					struct iwcm_work, list);
-		list_del_init(&work->list);
-		levent = work->event;
-		put_work(work);
-		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&cm_id_priv->lock, flags);
-
-		if (!test_bit(IWCM_F_DROP_EVENTS, &cm_id_priv->flags)) {
-			ret = process_event(cm_id_priv, &levent);
-			if (ret) {
-				destroy_cm_id(&cm_id_priv->id);
-				WARN_ON_ONCE(iwcm_deref_id(cm_id_priv));
-			}
-		} else
-			pr_debug("dropping event %d\n", levent.event);
-		if (iwcm_deref_id(cm_id_priv))
-			return;
-		spin_lock_irqsave(&cm_id_priv->lock, flags);
-	}
+	levent = work->event;
+	put_work(work);
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&cm_id_priv->lock, flags);
+
+	if (!test_bit(IWCM_F_DROP_EVENTS, &cm_id_priv->flags)) {
+		ret = process_event(cm_id_priv, &levent);
+		if (ret) {
+			destroy_cm_id(&cm_id_priv->id);
+			WARN_ON_ONCE(iwcm_deref_id(cm_id_priv));
+		}
+	} else
+		pr_debug("dropping event %d\n", levent.event);
+	if (iwcm_deref_id(cm_id_priv))
+		return;
 }
 
 /*
  * This function is called on interrupt context. Schedule events on
  * the iwcm_wq thread to allow callback functions to downcall into
- * the CM and/or block.  Events are queued to a per-CM_ID
- * work_list. If this is the first event on the work_list, the work
- * element is also queued on the iwcm_wq thread.
+ * the CM and/or block.
  *
  * Each event holds a reference on the cm_id. Until the last posted
  * event has been delivered and processed, the cm_id cannot be
@@ -1094,7 +1081,6 @@ static int cm_event_handler(struct iw_cm_id *cm_id,
 	}
 
 	refcount_inc(&cm_id_priv->refcount);
-	list_add_tail(&work->list, &cm_id_priv->work_list);
 	queue_work(iwcm_wq, &work->work);
 out:
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&cm_id_priv->lock, flags);
diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/core/iwcm.h b/drivers/infiniband/core/iwcm.h
index bf74639be128..b56fb12edece 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/core/iwcm.h
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/core/iwcm.h
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@ struct iwcm_id_private {
 	struct ib_qp *qp;
 	struct completion destroy_comp;
 	wait_queue_head_t connect_wait;
-	struct list_head work_list;
 	spinlock_t lock;
 	refcount_t refcount;
 	struct list_head work_free_list;