diff --git a/fs/lockd/svc.c b/fs/lockd/svc.c
index 83874878f41d..20cebb191350 100644
--- a/fs/lockd/svc.c
+++ b/fs/lockd/svc.c
@@ -59,9 +59,6 @@ static struct task_struct	*nlmsvc_task;
 static struct svc_rqst		*nlmsvc_rqst;
 unsigned long			nlmsvc_timeout;
 
-static atomic_t nlm_ntf_refcnt = ATOMIC_INIT(0);
-static DECLARE_WAIT_QUEUE_HEAD(nlm_ntf_wq);
-
 unsigned int lockd_net_id;
 
 /*
@@ -303,8 +300,7 @@ static int lockd_inetaddr_event(struct notifier_block *this,
 	struct in_ifaddr *ifa = (struct in_ifaddr *)ptr;
 	struct sockaddr_in sin;
 
-	if ((event != NETDEV_DOWN) ||
-	    !atomic_inc_not_zero(&nlm_ntf_refcnt))
+	if (event != NETDEV_DOWN)
 		goto out;
 
 	if (nlmsvc_serv) {
@@ -314,8 +310,6 @@ static int lockd_inetaddr_event(struct notifier_block *this,
 		sin.sin_addr.s_addr = ifa->ifa_local;
 		svc_age_temp_xprts_now(nlmsvc_serv, (struct sockaddr *)&sin);
 	}
-	atomic_dec(&nlm_ntf_refcnt);
-	wake_up(&nlm_ntf_wq);
 
 out:
 	return NOTIFY_DONE;
@@ -332,8 +326,7 @@ static int lockd_inet6addr_event(struct notifier_block *this,
 	struct inet6_ifaddr *ifa = (struct inet6_ifaddr *)ptr;
 	struct sockaddr_in6 sin6;
 
-	if ((event != NETDEV_DOWN) ||
-	    !atomic_inc_not_zero(&nlm_ntf_refcnt))
+	if (event != NETDEV_DOWN)
 		goto out;
 
 	if (nlmsvc_serv) {
@@ -344,8 +337,6 @@ static int lockd_inet6addr_event(struct notifier_block *this,
 			sin6.sin6_scope_id = ifa->idev->dev->ifindex;
 		svc_age_temp_xprts_now(nlmsvc_serv, (struct sockaddr *)&sin6);
 	}
-	atomic_dec(&nlm_ntf_refcnt);
-	wake_up(&nlm_ntf_wq);
 
 out:
 	return NOTIFY_DONE;
@@ -362,14 +353,6 @@ static void lockd_unregister_notifiers(void)
 #if IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_IPV6)
 	unregister_inet6addr_notifier(&lockd_inet6addr_notifier);
 #endif
-	wait_event(nlm_ntf_wq, atomic_read(&nlm_ntf_refcnt) == 0);
-}
-
-static void lockd_svc_exit_thread(void)
-{
-	atomic_dec(&nlm_ntf_refcnt);
-	lockd_unregister_notifiers();
-	svc_exit_thread(nlmsvc_rqst);
 }
 
 static int lockd_start_svc(struct svc_serv *serv)
@@ -388,11 +371,9 @@ static int lockd_start_svc(struct svc_serv *serv)
 		printk(KERN_WARNING
 			"lockd_up: svc_rqst allocation failed, error=%d\n",
 			error);
-		lockd_unregister_notifiers();
 		goto out_rqst;
 	}
 
-	atomic_inc(&nlm_ntf_refcnt);
 	svc_sock_update_bufs(serv);
 	serv->sv_maxconn = nlm_max_connections;
 
@@ -410,7 +391,7 @@ static int lockd_start_svc(struct svc_serv *serv)
 	return 0;
 
 out_task:
-	lockd_svc_exit_thread();
+	svc_exit_thread(nlmsvc_rqst);
 	nlmsvc_task = NULL;
 out_rqst:
 	nlmsvc_rqst = NULL;
@@ -477,7 +458,6 @@ int lockd_up(struct net *net, const struct cred *cred)
 
 	error = lockd_up_net(serv, net, cred);
 	if (error < 0) {
-		lockd_unregister_notifiers();
 		goto err_put;
 	}
 
@@ -488,8 +468,10 @@ int lockd_up(struct net *net, const struct cred *cred)
 	}
 	nlmsvc_users++;
 err_put:
-	if (nlmsvc_users == 0)
+	if (nlmsvc_users == 0) {
+		lockd_unregister_notifiers();
 		nlmsvc_serv = NULL;
+	}
 	svc_put(serv);
 err_create:
 	mutex_unlock(&nlmsvc_mutex);
@@ -518,13 +500,14 @@ lockd_down(struct net *net)
 		printk(KERN_ERR "lockd_down: no lockd running.\n");
 		BUG();
 	}
+	lockd_unregister_notifiers();
 	kthread_stop(nlmsvc_task);
 	dprintk("lockd_down: service stopped\n");
-	lockd_svc_exit_thread();
+	svc_exit_thread(nlmsvc_rqst);
+	nlmsvc_rqst = NULL;
 	dprintk("lockd_down: service destroyed\n");
 	nlmsvc_serv = NULL;
 	nlmsvc_task = NULL;
-	nlmsvc_rqst = NULL;
 out:
 	mutex_unlock(&nlmsvc_mutex);
 }