diff --git a/net/rds/af_rds.c b/net/rds/af_rds.c
index e84d00bbe9a1..fb6b8ddb2d11 100644
--- a/net/rds/af_rds.c
+++ b/net/rds/af_rds.c
@@ -925,8 +925,11 @@ static void rds6_sock_info(struct socket *sock, unsigned int len,
 }
 #endif
 
+static bool rds_initialized;
+
 static void rds_exit(void)
 {
+	rds_initialized = false;
 	sock_unregister(rds_family_ops.family);
 	proto_unregister(&rds_proto);
 	rds_conn_exit();
@@ -947,6 +950,16 @@ module_exit(rds_exit);
 
 u32 rds_gen_num;
 
+/* When RDS is built in, a failed rds_init() does not stop the rds_rdma
+ * and rds_tcp initcalls from running against a core that has already
+ * been torn down (rds_wq in particular).  Let them bail out early.
+ */
+bool rds_is_initialized(void)
+{
+	return rds_initialized;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(rds_is_initialized);
+
 static int __init rds_init(void)
 {
 	int ret;
@@ -983,6 +996,7 @@ static int __init rds_init(void)
 	rds_info_register_func(RDS6_INFO_SOCKETS, rds6_sock_info);
 	rds_info_register_func(RDS6_INFO_RECV_MESSAGES, rds6_sock_inc_info);
 #endif
+	rds_initialized = true;
 
 	goto out;
 
diff --git a/net/rds/ib_sysctl.c b/net/rds/ib_sysctl.c
index 2af678e71e3c..bc97a3eecad6 100644
--- a/net/rds/ib_sysctl.c
+++ b/net/rds/ib_sysctl.c
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ void rds_ib_sysctl_exit(void)
 int rds_ib_sysctl_init(void)
 {
 	rds_ib_sysctl_hdr = register_net_sysctl(&init_net, "net/rds/ib", rds_ib_sysctl_table);
-	if (!rds_ib_sysctl_hdr)
+	if (!rds_ib_sysctl_hdr && IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_SYSCTL))
 		return -ENOMEM;
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/net/rds/rdma_transport.c b/net/rds/rdma_transport.c
index 12559a8ca912..75532734c054 100644
--- a/net/rds/rdma_transport.c
+++ b/net/rds/rdma_transport.c
@@ -336,6 +336,9 @@ static int __init rds_rdma_init(void)
 {
 	int ret;
 
+	if (!rds_is_initialized())
+		return -ENODEV;
+
 	ret = rds_ib_init();
 	if (ret)
 		goto out;
diff --git a/net/rds/rds.h b/net/rds/rds.h
index 9b1ffc49c0a6..e3937c1ff3a1 100644
--- a/net/rds/rds.h
+++ b/net/rds/rds.h
@@ -1042,6 +1042,7 @@ extern unsigned int  rds_sysctl_trace_level;
 int rds_threads_init(void);
 void rds_threads_exit(void);
 extern struct workqueue_struct *rds_wq;
+bool rds_is_initialized(void);
 void rds_queue_reconnect(struct rds_conn_path *cp);
 void rds_connect_worker(struct work_struct *);
 void rds_shutdown_worker(struct work_struct *);
diff --git a/net/rds/sysctl.c b/net/rds/sysctl.c
index 025f518a4349..968d6279bbd3 100644
--- a/net/rds/sysctl.c
+++ b/net/rds/sysctl.c
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ int rds_sysctl_init(void)
 
 	rds_sysctl_reg_table =
 		register_net_sysctl(&init_net, "net/rds", rds_sysctl_rds_table);
-	if (!rds_sysctl_reg_table)
+	if (!rds_sysctl_reg_table && IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_SYSCTL))
 		return -ENOMEM;
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/net/rds/tcp.c b/net/rds/tcp.c
index 774a71f88d37..c1ad37505417 100644
--- a/net/rds/tcp.c
+++ b/net/rds/tcp.c
@@ -637,7 +637,7 @@ static __net_init int rds_tcp_init_net(struct net *net)
 	tbl[RDS_TCP_RCVBUF].data = &rtn->rcvbuf_size;
 	rtn->rds_tcp_sysctl = register_net_sysctl_sz(net, "net/rds/tcp", tbl,
 						     ARRAY_SIZE(rds_tcp_sysctl_table));
-	if (!rtn->rds_tcp_sysctl) {
+	if (!rtn->rds_tcp_sysctl && IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_SYSCTL)) {
 		pr_warn("could not register sysctl\n");
 		err = -ENOMEM;
 		goto fail;
@@ -815,6 +815,9 @@ static int __init rds_tcp_init(void)
 {
 	int ret;
 
+	if (!rds_is_initialized())
+		return -ENODEV;
+
 	rds_tcp_conn_slab = KMEM_CACHE(rds_tcp_connection, 0);
 	if (!rds_tcp_conn_slab) {
 		ret = -ENOMEM;