diff --git a/fs/nfs/flexfilelayout/flexfilelayoutdev.c b/fs/nfs/flexfilelayout/flexfilelayoutdev.c
index c40395ae0814..1109462a9699 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/flexfilelayout/flexfilelayoutdev.c
+++ b/fs/nfs/flexfilelayout/flexfilelayoutdev.c
@@ -97,6 +97,11 @@ nfs4_ff_alloc_deviceid_node(struct nfs_server *server, struct pnfs_device *pdev,
 	if (unlikely(!p))
 		goto out_err_drain_dsaddrs;
 	version_count = be32_to_cpup(p);
+
+	if (version_count == 0) {
+		ret = -EINVAL;
+		goto out_err_drain_dsaddrs;
+	}
 	dprintk("%s: version count %d\n", __func__, version_count);
 
 	ds_versions = kzalloc_objs(struct nfs4_ff_ds_version, version_count,