diff --git a/fs/nfs/client.c b/fs/nfs/client.c
index 3db2f18315b8..28b66bb0dd33 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/client.c
+++ b/fs/nfs/client.c
@@ -937,20 +937,23 @@ static int nfs_probe_fsinfo(struct nfs_server *server, struct nfs_fh *mntfh, str
 	pathinfo.fattr = fattr;
 	nfs_fattr_init(fattr);
 
-	/* Clear before probing so a failed RPC does not retain stale bits. */
-	if (clp->rpc_ops->version < 4)
-		server->caps &= ~(NFS_CAP_CASE_INSENSITIVE |
-				  NFS_CAP_CASE_NONPRESERVING);
-
 	if (clp->rpc_ops->pathconf(server, mntfh, &pathinfo) >= 0) {
 		if (server->namelen == 0)
 			server->namelen = pathinfo.max_namelen;
 		if (clp->rpc_ops->version < 4) {
+			unsigned int caps = server->caps;
+
+			caps &= ~(NFS_CAP_CASE_INSENSITIVE |
+				  NFS_CAP_CASE_NONPRESERVING);
 			if (pathinfo.case_insensitive)
-				server->caps |= NFS_CAP_CASE_INSENSITIVE;
+				caps |= NFS_CAP_CASE_INSENSITIVE;
 			if (!pathinfo.case_preserving)
-				server->caps |= NFS_CAP_CASE_NONPRESERVING;
+				caps |= NFS_CAP_CASE_NONPRESERVING;
+			server->caps = caps;
 		}
+	} else if (clp->rpc_ops->version < 4) {
+		server->caps &= ~(NFS_CAP_CASE_INSENSITIVE |
+				  NFS_CAP_CASE_NONPRESERVING);
 	}
 
 	if (clp->rpc_ops->discover_trunking != NULL &&