diff --git a/drivers/scsi/scsi_transport_iscsi.c b/drivers/scsi/scsi_transport_iscsi.c
index ed289e1242c9..c7b1b2e8bb02 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/scsi_transport_iscsi.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/scsi_transport_iscsi.c
@@ -2221,10 +2221,10 @@ static void iscsi_stop_conn(struct iscsi_cls_conn *conn, int flag)
 
 	switch (flag) {
 	case STOP_CONN_RECOVER:
-		conn->state = ISCSI_CONN_FAILED;
+		WRITE_ONCE(conn->state, ISCSI_CONN_FAILED);
 		break;
 	case STOP_CONN_TERM:
-		conn->state = ISCSI_CONN_DOWN;
+		WRITE_ONCE(conn->state, ISCSI_CONN_DOWN);
 		break;
 	default:
 		iscsi_cls_conn_printk(KERN_ERR, conn, "invalid stop flag %d\n",
@@ -2242,7 +2242,7 @@ static void iscsi_ep_disconnect(struct iscsi_cls_conn *conn, bool is_active)
 	struct iscsi_endpoint *ep;
 
 	ISCSI_DBG_TRANS_CONN(conn, "disconnect ep.\n");
-	conn->state = ISCSI_CONN_FAILED;
+	WRITE_ONCE(conn->state, ISCSI_CONN_FAILED);
 
 	if (!conn->ep || !session->transport->ep_disconnect)
 		return;
@@ -2341,21 +2341,6 @@ static void iscsi_cleanup_conn_work_fn(struct work_struct *work)
 	struct iscsi_cls_session *session = iscsi_conn_to_session(conn);
 
 	mutex_lock(&conn->ep_mutex);
-	/*
-	 * If we are not at least bound there is nothing for us to do. Userspace
-	 * will do a ep_disconnect call if offload is used, but will not be
-	 * doing a stop since there is nothing to clean up, so we have to clear
-	 * the cleanup bit here.
-	 */
-	if (conn->state != ISCSI_CONN_BOUND && conn->state != ISCSI_CONN_UP) {
-		ISCSI_DBG_TRANS_CONN(conn, "Got error while conn is already failed. Ignoring.\n");
-		spin_lock_irq(&conn->lock);
-		clear_bit(ISCSI_CLS_CONN_BIT_CLEANUP, &conn->flags);
-		spin_unlock_irq(&conn->lock);
-		mutex_unlock(&conn->ep_mutex);
-		return;
-	}
-
 	/*
 	 * Get a ref to the ep, so we don't release its ID until after
 	 * userspace is done referencing it in iscsi_if_disconnect_bound_ep.
@@ -2422,7 +2407,7 @@ iscsi_create_conn(struct iscsi_cls_session *session, int dd_size, uint32_t cid)
 	INIT_WORK(&conn->cleanup_work, iscsi_cleanup_conn_work_fn);
 	conn->transport = transport;
 	conn->cid = cid;
-	conn->state = ISCSI_CONN_DOWN;
+	WRITE_ONCE(conn->state, ISCSI_CONN_DOWN);
 
 	/* this is released in the dev's release function */
 	if (!get_device(&session->dev))
@@ -2610,10 +2595,30 @@ void iscsi_conn_error_event(struct iscsi_cls_conn *conn, enum iscsi_err error)
 	struct iscsi_internal *priv;
 	int len = nlmsg_total_size(sizeof(*ev));
 	unsigned long flags;
+	int state;
 
 	spin_lock_irqsave(&conn->lock, flags);
-	if (!test_and_set_bit(ISCSI_CLS_CONN_BIT_CLEANUP, &conn->flags))
-		queue_work(iscsi_conn_cleanup_workq, &conn->cleanup_work);
+	/*
+	 * Userspace will only do a stop call if we are at least bound. And, we
+	 * only need to do the in kernel cleanup if in the UP state so cmds can
+	 * be released to upper layers. If in other states just wait for
+	 * userspace to avoid races that can leave the cleanup_work queued.
+	 */
+	state = READ_ONCE(conn->state);
+	switch (state) {
+	case ISCSI_CONN_BOUND:
+	case ISCSI_CONN_UP:
+		if (!test_and_set_bit(ISCSI_CLS_CONN_BIT_CLEANUP,
+				      &conn->flags)) {
+			queue_work(iscsi_conn_cleanup_workq,
+				   &conn->cleanup_work);
+		}
+		break;
+	default:
+		ISCSI_DBG_TRANS_CONN(conn, "Got conn error in state %d\n",
+				     state);
+		break;
+	}
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&conn->lock, flags);
 
 	priv = iscsi_if_transport_lookup(conn->transport);
@@ -2964,7 +2969,7 @@ iscsi_set_param(struct iscsi_transport *transport, struct iscsi_uevent *ev)
 	char *data = (char*)ev + sizeof(*ev);
 	struct iscsi_cls_conn *conn;
 	struct iscsi_cls_session *session;
-	int err = 0, value = 0;
+	int err = 0, value = 0, state;
 
 	if (ev->u.set_param.len > PAGE_SIZE)
 		return -EINVAL;
@@ -2981,8 +2986,8 @@ iscsi_set_param(struct iscsi_transport *transport, struct iscsi_uevent *ev)
 			session->recovery_tmo = value;
 		break;
 	default:
-		if ((conn->state == ISCSI_CONN_BOUND) ||
-			(conn->state == ISCSI_CONN_UP)) {
+		state = READ_ONCE(conn->state);
+		if (state == ISCSI_CONN_BOUND || state == ISCSI_CONN_UP) {
 			err = transport->set_param(conn, ev->u.set_param.param,
 					data, ev->u.set_param.len);
 		} else {
@@ -3778,7 +3783,7 @@ static int iscsi_if_transport_conn(struct iscsi_transport *transport,
 						ev->u.b_conn.transport_eph,
 						ev->u.b_conn.is_leading);
 		if (!ev->r.retcode)
-			conn->state = ISCSI_CONN_BOUND;
+			WRITE_ONCE(conn->state, ISCSI_CONN_BOUND);
 
 		if (ev->r.retcode || !transport->ep_connect)
 			break;
@@ -3797,7 +3802,8 @@ static int iscsi_if_transport_conn(struct iscsi_transport *transport,
 	case ISCSI_UEVENT_START_CONN:
 		ev->r.retcode = transport->start_conn(conn);
 		if (!ev->r.retcode)
-			conn->state = ISCSI_CONN_UP;
+			WRITE_ONCE(conn->state, ISCSI_CONN_UP);
+
 		break;
 	case ISCSI_UEVENT_SEND_PDU:
 		pdu_len = nlh->nlmsg_len - sizeof(*nlh) - sizeof(*ev);
@@ -4105,10 +4111,11 @@ static ssize_t show_conn_state(struct device *dev,
 {
 	struct iscsi_cls_conn *conn = iscsi_dev_to_conn(dev->parent);
 	const char *state = "unknown";
+	int conn_state = READ_ONCE(conn->state);
 
-	if (conn->state >= 0 &&
-	    conn->state < ARRAY_SIZE(connection_state_names))
-		state = connection_state_names[conn->state];
+	if (conn_state >= 0 &&
+	    conn_state < ARRAY_SIZE(connection_state_names))
+		state = connection_state_names[conn_state];
 
 	return sysfs_emit(buf, "%s\n", state);
 }