diff --git a/fs/nfs/inode.c b/fs/nfs/inode.c
index 52e7d6869e3b..60051e62d3f1 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/inode.c
+++ b/fs/nfs/inode.c
@@ -1729,12 +1729,15 @@ static int nfs_update_inode(struct inode *inode, struct nfs_fattr *fattr)
 		if (inode->i_version != fattr->change_attr) {
 			dprintk("NFS: change_attr change on server for file %s/%ld\n",
 					inode->i_sb->s_id, inode->i_ino);
-			invalid |= NFS_INO_INVALID_ATTR
-				| NFS_INO_INVALID_DATA
-				| NFS_INO_INVALID_ACCESS
-				| NFS_INO_INVALID_ACL;
-			if (S_ISDIR(inode->i_mode))
-				nfs_force_lookup_revalidate(inode);
+			/* Could it be a race with writeback? */
+			if (nfsi->nrequests == 0) {
+				invalid |= NFS_INO_INVALID_ATTR
+					| NFS_INO_INVALID_DATA
+					| NFS_INO_INVALID_ACCESS
+					| NFS_INO_INVALID_ACL;
+				if (S_ISDIR(inode->i_mode))
+					nfs_force_lookup_revalidate(inode);
+			}
 			inode->i_version = fattr->change_attr;
 		}
 	} else {