diff --git a/drivers/scsi/scsi_transport_iscsi.c b/drivers/scsi/scsi_transport_iscsi.c
index 7bbeb563ab8c..f4cc08eb47ba 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/scsi_transport_iscsi.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/scsi_transport_iscsi.c
@@ -1616,6 +1616,12 @@ static DECLARE_TRANSPORT_CLASS(iscsi_connection_class,
 static struct sock *nls;
 static DEFINE_MUTEX(rx_queue_mutex);
 
+/*
+ * conn_mutex protects the {start,bind,stop,destroy}_conn from racing
+ * against the kernel stop_connection recovery mechanism
+ */
+static DEFINE_MUTEX(conn_mutex);
+
 static LIST_HEAD(sesslist);
 static LIST_HEAD(sessdestroylist);
 static DEFINE_SPINLOCK(sesslock);
@@ -2445,6 +2451,32 @@ int iscsi_offload_mesg(struct Scsi_Host *shost,
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(iscsi_offload_mesg);
 
+/*
+ * This can be called without the rx_queue_mutex, if invoked by the kernel
+ * stop work. But, in that case, it is guaranteed not to race with
+ * iscsi_destroy by conn_mutex.
+ */
+static void iscsi_if_stop_conn(struct iscsi_cls_conn *conn, int flag)
+{
+	/*
+	 * It is important that this path doesn't rely on
+	 * rx_queue_mutex, otherwise, a thread doing allocation on a
+	 * start_session/start_connection could sleep waiting on a
+	 * writeback to a failed iscsi device, that cannot be recovered
+	 * because the lock is held.  If we don't hold it here, the
+	 * kernel stop_conn_work_fn has a chance to stop the broken
+	 * session and resolve the allocation.
+	 *
+	 * Still, the user invoked .stop_conn() needs to be serialized
+	 * with stop_conn_work_fn by a private mutex.  Not pretty, but
+	 * it works.
+	 */
+	mutex_lock(&conn_mutex);
+	conn->transport->stop_conn(conn, flag);
+	mutex_unlock(&conn_mutex);
+
+}
+
 static void stop_conn_work_fn(struct work_struct *work)
 {
 	struct iscsi_cls_conn *conn, *tmp;
@@ -2463,30 +2495,17 @@ static void stop_conn_work_fn(struct work_struct *work)
 		uint32_t sid = iscsi_conn_get_sid(conn);
 		struct iscsi_cls_session *session;
 
-		mutex_lock(&rx_queue_mutex);
-
 		session = iscsi_session_lookup(sid);
 		if (session) {
 			if (system_state != SYSTEM_RUNNING) {
 				session->recovery_tmo = 0;
-				conn->transport->stop_conn(conn,
-							   STOP_CONN_TERM);
+				iscsi_if_stop_conn(conn, STOP_CONN_TERM);
 			} else {
-				conn->transport->stop_conn(conn,
-							   STOP_CONN_RECOVER);
+				iscsi_if_stop_conn(conn, STOP_CONN_RECOVER);
 			}
 		}
 
 		list_del_init(&conn->conn_list_err);
-
-		mutex_unlock(&rx_queue_mutex);
-
-		/* we don't want to hold rx_queue_mutex for too long,
-		 * for instance if many conns failed at the same time,
-		 * since this stall other iscsi maintenance operations.
-		 * Give other users a chance to proceed.
-		 */
-		cond_resched();
 	}
 }
 
@@ -2846,8 +2865,11 @@ iscsi_if_destroy_conn(struct iscsi_transport *transport, struct iscsi_uevent *ev
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&connlock, flags);
 
 	ISCSI_DBG_TRANS_CONN(conn, "Destroying transport conn\n");
+
+	mutex_lock(&conn_mutex);
 	if (transport->destroy_conn)
 		transport->destroy_conn(conn);
+	mutex_unlock(&conn_mutex);
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -3689,9 +3711,12 @@ iscsi_if_recv_msg(struct sk_buff *skb, struct nlmsghdr *nlh, uint32_t *group)
 			break;
 		}
 
+		mutex_lock(&conn_mutex);
 		ev->r.retcode =	transport->bind_conn(session, conn,
 						ev->u.b_conn.transport_eph,
 						ev->u.b_conn.is_leading);
+		mutex_unlock(&conn_mutex);
+
 		if (ev->r.retcode || !transport->ep_connect)
 			break;
 
@@ -3713,9 +3738,11 @@ iscsi_if_recv_msg(struct sk_buff *skb, struct nlmsghdr *nlh, uint32_t *group)
 	case ISCSI_UEVENT_START_CONN:
 		conn = iscsi_conn_lookup(ev->u.start_conn.sid, ev->u.start_conn.cid);
 		if (conn) {
+			mutex_lock(&conn_mutex);
 			ev->r.retcode = transport->start_conn(conn);
 			if (!ev->r.retcode)
 				conn->state = ISCSI_CONN_UP;
+			mutex_unlock(&conn_mutex);
 		}
 		else
 			err = -EINVAL;
@@ -3723,17 +3750,20 @@ iscsi_if_recv_msg(struct sk_buff *skb, struct nlmsghdr *nlh, uint32_t *group)
 	case ISCSI_UEVENT_STOP_CONN:
 		conn = iscsi_conn_lookup(ev->u.stop_conn.sid, ev->u.stop_conn.cid);
 		if (conn)
-			transport->stop_conn(conn, ev->u.stop_conn.flag);
+			iscsi_if_stop_conn(conn, ev->u.stop_conn.flag);
 		else
 			err = -EINVAL;
 		break;
 	case ISCSI_UEVENT_SEND_PDU:
 		conn = iscsi_conn_lookup(ev->u.send_pdu.sid, ev->u.send_pdu.cid);
-		if (conn)
+		if (conn) {
+			mutex_lock(&conn_mutex);
 			ev->r.retcode =	transport->send_pdu(conn,
 				(struct iscsi_hdr*)((char*)ev + sizeof(*ev)),
 				(char*)ev + sizeof(*ev) + ev->u.send_pdu.hdr_size,
 				ev->u.send_pdu.data_size);
+			mutex_unlock(&conn_mutex);
+		}
 		else
 			err = -EINVAL;
 		break;