diff --git a/net/handshake/handshake-test.c b/net/handshake/handshake-test.c
index df3948e807a0..9cc7a95f4120 100644
--- a/net/handshake/handshake-test.c
+++ b/net/handshake/handshake-test.c
@@ -375,6 +375,10 @@ static void handshake_req_cancel_test2(struct kunit *test)
 	/* Pretend to accept this request */
 	next = handshake_req_next(hn, HANDSHAKE_HANDLER_CLASS_TLSHD);
 	KUNIT_ASSERT_PTR_EQ(test, req, next);
+	/* Simulate FD_PREPARE() consuming the file reference handed
+	 * off by handshake_req_next(); see handshake_nl_accept_doit().
+	 */
+	fput(filp);
 
 	/* Act */
 	result = handshake_req_cancel(sock->sk);
@@ -417,6 +421,10 @@ static void handshake_req_cancel_test3(struct kunit *test)
 	/* Pretend to accept this request */
 	next = handshake_req_next(hn, HANDSHAKE_HANDLER_CLASS_TLSHD);
 	KUNIT_ASSERT_PTR_EQ(test, req, next);
+	/* Simulate FD_PREPARE() consuming the file reference handed
+	 * off by handshake_req_next(); see handshake_nl_accept_doit().
+	 */
+	fput(filp);
 
 	/* Pretend to complete this request */
 	handshake_complete(next, -ETIMEDOUT, NULL);
diff --git a/net/handshake/netlink.c b/net/handshake/netlink.c
index 1a5821eb7184..21d6cbd52fcd 100644
--- a/net/handshake/netlink.c
+++ b/net/handshake/netlink.c
@@ -92,7 +92,6 @@ int handshake_nl_accept_doit(struct sk_buff *skb, struct genl_info *info)
 	struct net *net = sock_net(skb->sk);
 	struct handshake_net *hn = handshake_pernet(net);
 	struct handshake_req *req = NULL;
-	struct socket *sock;
 	int class, err;
 
 	err = -EOPNOTSUPP;
@@ -107,15 +106,13 @@ int handshake_nl_accept_doit(struct sk_buff *skb, struct genl_info *info)
 	err = -EAGAIN;
 	req = handshake_req_next(hn, class);
 	if (req) {
-		sock = req->hr_sk->sk_socket;
-
-		FD_PREPARE(fdf, O_CLOEXEC, sock->file);
+		FD_PREPARE(fdf, O_CLOEXEC, req->hr_file);
 		if (fdf.err) {
+			fput(req->hr_file); /* drop ref from handshake_req_next() */
 			err = fdf.err;
 			goto out_complete;
 		}
 
-		get_file(sock->file); /* FD_PREPARE() consumes a reference. */
 		err = req->hr_proto->hp_accept(req, info, fd_prepare_fd(fdf));
 		if (err)
 			goto out_complete; /* Automatic cleanup handles fput */
diff --git a/net/handshake/request.c b/net/handshake/request.c
index da064511ab86..e2d7ee7ce6e0 100644
--- a/net/handshake/request.c
+++ b/net/handshake/request.c
@@ -178,6 +178,17 @@ static bool remove_pending(struct handshake_net *hn, struct handshake_req *req)
 	return ret;
 }
 
+/**
+ * handshake_req_next - Return the next queued handshake request
+ * @hn: per-net handshake state
+ * @class: handler class to match
+ *
+ * On a non-NULL return, the caller owns an extra reference
+ * on @req->hr_file.  FD_PREPARE() consumes it on success; on
+ * the FD_PREPARE() failure path the caller must fput() it.
+ *
+ * Return: pointer to a removed handshake_req, or NULL.
+ */
 struct handshake_req *handshake_req_next(struct handshake_net *hn, int class)
 {
 	struct handshake_req *req, *pos;
@@ -188,6 +199,13 @@ struct handshake_req *handshake_req_next(struct handshake_net *hn, int class)
 		if (pos->hr_proto->hp_handler_class != class)
 			continue;
 		__remove_pending_locked(hn, pos);
+		/* Hand off a file reference to the accept side under
+		 * hn_lock.  A concurrent handshake_req_cancel() can drop
+		 * hr_file before accept reaches FD_PREPARE(); this extra
+		 * reference keeps the file alive until FD_PREPARE() takes
+		 * ownership.
+		 */
+		get_file(pos->hr_file);
 		req = pos;
 		break;
 	}