diff --git a/net/rds/ib_cm.c b/net/rds/ib_cm.c
index 3ed03ad32812..16bfeaaf3b97 100644
--- a/net/rds/ib_cm.c
+++ b/net/rds/ib_cm.c
@@ -1284,6 +1284,7 @@ void rds_ib_conn_free(void *arg)
 {
 	struct rds_ib_connection *ic = arg;
 	spinlock_t	*lock_ptr;
+	unsigned long flags;
 
 	rdsdebug("ic %p\n", ic);
 
@@ -1294,9 +1295,10 @@ void rds_ib_conn_free(void *arg)
 	 */
 	lock_ptr = ic->rds_ibdev ? &ic->rds_ibdev->spinlock : &ib_nodev_conns_lock;
 
-	spin_lock_irq(lock_ptr);
+	/* May be called with IRQs already disabled (see __rds_conn_create()) */
+	spin_lock_irqsave(lock_ptr, flags);
 	list_del(&ic->ib_node);
-	spin_unlock_irq(lock_ptr);
+	spin_unlock_irqrestore(lock_ptr, flags);
 
 	rds_ib_recv_free_caches(ic);