diff --git a/fs/nfsd/nfs4proc.c b/fs/nfsd/nfs4proc.c
index c16ccb403a8d..f4884827b7a0 100644
--- a/fs/nfsd/nfs4proc.c
+++ b/fs/nfsd/nfs4proc.c
@@ -3125,9 +3125,22 @@ nfsd4_proc_compound(struct svc_rqst *rqstp)
 				op->status = nfsd4_open_omfg(rqstp, cstate, op);
 			goto encode_op;
 		}
-		if (!current_fh->fh_dentry &&
-				!HAS_FH_FLAG(current_fh, NFSD4_FH_FOREIGN)) {
-			if (!(op->opdesc->op_flags & ALLOWED_WITHOUT_FH)) {
+		if (!current_fh->fh_dentry) {
+			if (HAS_FH_FLAG(current_fh, NFSD4_FH_FOREIGN)) {
+				/*
+				 * FOREIGN fh from inter-SSC PUTFH: only
+				 * SAVEFH may proceed with a NULL fh_dentry.
+				 * Per RFC 7862 S15.2.3, validation of a
+				 * foreign fh is deferred to the operation
+				 * that consumes it, and NFS4ERR_STALE is
+				 * returned at that point.
+				 */
+				if (op->opnum != OP_SAVEFH &&
+				    !(op->opdesc->op_flags & ALLOWED_WITHOUT_FH)) {
+					op->status = nfserr_stale;
+					goto encode_op;
+				}
+			} else if (!(op->opdesc->op_flags & ALLOWED_WITHOUT_FH)) {
 				op->status = nfserr_nofilehandle;
 				goto encode_op;
 			}