diff --git a/net/sunrpc/clnt.c b/net/sunrpc/clnt.c
index efa26899bc7d..6cedc824cf82 100644
--- a/net/sunrpc/clnt.c
+++ b/net/sunrpc/clnt.c
@@ -96,7 +96,10 @@ static void rpc_unregister_client(struct rpc_clnt *clnt)
 
 static void __rpc_clnt_remove_pipedir(struct rpc_clnt *clnt)
 {
-	rpc_remove_client_dir(clnt);
+	if (clnt->pipefs_sb) {
+		rpc_remove_client_dir(clnt);
+		clnt->pipefs_sb = NULL;
+	}
 }
 
 static void rpc_clnt_remove_pipedir(struct rpc_clnt *clnt)
@@ -177,19 +180,28 @@ static int rpc_clnt_skip_event(struct rpc_clnt *clnt, unsigned long event)
 }
 
 static int __rpc_clnt_handle_event(struct rpc_clnt *clnt, unsigned long event,
-				   struct super_block *sb)
+				    struct super_block *sb)
 {
+	int err = 0;
+
 	switch (event) {
 	case RPC_PIPEFS_MOUNT:
-		return rpc_setup_pipedir_sb(sb, clnt);
+		clnt->pipefs_sb = sb;
+		err = rpc_setup_pipedir_sb(sb, clnt);
+		if (err)
+			clnt->pipefs_sb = NULL;
+		break;
 	case RPC_PIPEFS_UMOUNT:
-		__rpc_clnt_remove_pipedir(clnt);
+		if (clnt->pipefs_sb == sb) {
+			__rpc_clnt_remove_pipedir(clnt);
+			clnt->pipefs_sb = NULL;
+		}
 		break;
 	default:
 		printk(KERN_ERR "%s: unknown event: %ld\n", __func__, event);
 		return -ENOTSUPP;
 	}
-	return 0;
+	return err;
 }
 
 static int __rpc_pipefs_event(struct rpc_clnt *clnt, unsigned long event,