diff --git a/net/netfilter/ipvs/ip_vs_conn.c b/net/netfilter/ipvs/ip_vs_conn.c
index de5a64e42ebd..0edc62910ebf 100644
--- a/net/netfilter/ipvs/ip_vs_conn.c
+++ b/net/netfilter/ipvs/ip_vs_conn.c
@@ -825,12 +825,23 @@ static void ip_vs_conn_expire(struct timer_list *t)
 
 	/* Unlink conn if not referenced anymore */
 	if (likely(ip_vs_conn_unlink(cp))) {
+		struct ip_vs_conn *ct = cp->control;
+
 		/* delete the timer if it is activated by other users */
 		del_timer(&cp->timer);
 
 		/* does anybody control me? */
-		if (cp->control)
+		if (ct) {
 			ip_vs_control_del(cp);
+			/* Drop CTL or non-assured TPL if not used anymore */
+			if (!cp->timeout && !atomic_read(&ct->n_control) &&
+			    (!(ct->flags & IP_VS_CONN_F_TEMPLATE) ||
+			     !(ct->state & IP_VS_CTPL_S_ASSURED))) {
+				IP_VS_DBG(4, "drop controlling connection\n");
+				ct->timeout = 0;
+				ip_vs_conn_expire_now(ct);
+			}
+		}
 
 		if ((cp->flags & IP_VS_CONN_F_NFCT) &&
 		    !(cp->flags & IP_VS_CONN_F_ONE_PACKET)) {
@@ -872,6 +883,10 @@ static void ip_vs_conn_expire(struct timer_list *t)
 
 /* Modify timer, so that it expires as soon as possible.
  * Can be called without reference only if under RCU lock.
+ * We can have such chain of conns linked with ->control: DATA->CTL->TPL
+ * - DATA (eg. FTP) and TPL (persistence) can be present depending on setup
+ * - cp->timeout=0 indicates all conns from chain should be dropped but
+ * TPL is not dropped if in assured state
  */
 void ip_vs_conn_expire_now(struct ip_vs_conn *cp)
 {
@@ -1197,8 +1212,11 @@ static const struct seq_operations ip_vs_conn_sync_seq_ops = {
 #endif
 
 
-/*
- *      Randomly drop connection entries before running out of memory
+/* Randomly drop connection entries before running out of memory
+ * Can be used for DATA and CTL conns. For TPL conns there are exceptions:
+ * - traffic for services in OPS mode increases ct->in_pkts, so it is supported
+ * - traffic for services not in OPS mode does not increase ct->in_pkts in
+ * all cases, so it is not supported
  */
 static inline int todrop_entry(struct ip_vs_conn *cp)
 {
@@ -1242,7 +1260,7 @@ static inline bool ip_vs_conn_ops_mode(struct ip_vs_conn *cp)
 void ip_vs_random_dropentry(struct netns_ipvs *ipvs)
 {
 	int idx;
-	struct ip_vs_conn *cp, *cp_c;
+	struct ip_vs_conn *cp;
 
 	rcu_read_lock();
 	/*
@@ -1254,13 +1272,15 @@ void ip_vs_random_dropentry(struct netns_ipvs *ipvs)
 		hlist_for_each_entry_rcu(cp, &ip_vs_conn_tab[hash], c_list) {
 			if (cp->ipvs != ipvs)
 				continue;
+			if (atomic_read(&cp->n_control))
+				continue;
 			if (cp->flags & IP_VS_CONN_F_TEMPLATE) {
-				if (atomic_read(&cp->n_control) ||
-				    !ip_vs_conn_ops_mode(cp))
-					continue;
-				else
-					/* connection template of OPS */
+				/* connection template of OPS */
+				if (ip_vs_conn_ops_mode(cp))
 					goto try_drop;
+				if (!(cp->state & IP_VS_CTPL_S_ASSURED))
+					goto drop;
+				continue;
 			}
 			if (cp->protocol == IPPROTO_TCP) {
 				switch(cp->state) {
@@ -1294,15 +1314,10 @@ void ip_vs_random_dropentry(struct netns_ipvs *ipvs)
 					continue;
 			}
 
-			IP_VS_DBG(4, "del connection\n");
+drop:
+			IP_VS_DBG(4, "drop connection\n");
+			cp->timeout = 0;
 			ip_vs_conn_expire_now(cp);
-			cp_c = cp->control;
-			/* cp->control is valid only with reference to cp */
-			if (cp_c && __ip_vs_conn_get(cp)) {
-				IP_VS_DBG(4, "del conn template\n");
-				ip_vs_conn_expire_now(cp_c);
-				__ip_vs_conn_put(cp);
-			}
 		}
 		cond_resched_rcu();
 	}
@@ -1325,15 +1340,19 @@ static void ip_vs_conn_flush(struct netns_ipvs *ipvs)
 		hlist_for_each_entry_rcu(cp, &ip_vs_conn_tab[idx], c_list) {
 			if (cp->ipvs != ipvs)
 				continue;
-			IP_VS_DBG(4, "del connection\n");
-			ip_vs_conn_expire_now(cp);
+			/* As timers are expired in LIFO order, restart
+			 * the timer of controlling connection first, so
+			 * that it is expired after us.
+			 */
 			cp_c = cp->control;
 			/* cp->control is valid only with reference to cp */
 			if (cp_c && __ip_vs_conn_get(cp)) {
-				IP_VS_DBG(4, "del conn template\n");
+				IP_VS_DBG(4, "del controlling connection\n");
 				ip_vs_conn_expire_now(cp_c);
 				__ip_vs_conn_put(cp);
 			}
+			IP_VS_DBG(4, "del connection\n");
+			ip_vs_conn_expire_now(cp);
 		}
 		cond_resched_rcu();
 	}