diff --git a/fs/nfsd/nfs4recover.c b/fs/nfsd/nfs4recover.c
index 09e3c9352778..d60001da1dbf 100644
--- a/fs/nfsd/nfs4recover.c
+++ b/fs/nfsd/nfs4recover.c
@@ -628,6 +628,7 @@ nfsd4_legacy_tracking_init(struct net *net)
 	status = nfsd4_load_reboot_recovery_data(net);
 	if (status)
 		goto err;
+	printk("NFSD: Using legacy client tracking operations.\n");
 	return 0;
 
 err:
@@ -937,7 +938,7 @@ nfsd4_cld_unregister_net(struct net *net, struct rpc_pipe *pipe)
 
 /* Initialize rpc_pipefs pipe for communication with client tracking daemon */
 static int
-nfsd4_init_cld_pipe(struct net *net)
+__nfsd4_init_cld_pipe(struct net *net)
 {
 	int ret;
 	struct dentry *dentry;
@@ -980,6 +981,17 @@ nfsd4_init_cld_pipe(struct net *net)
 	return ret;
 }
 
+static int
+nfsd4_init_cld_pipe(struct net *net)
+{
+	int status;
+
+	status = __nfsd4_init_cld_pipe(net);
+	if (!status)
+		printk("NFSD: Using old nfsdcld client tracking operations.\n");
+	return status;
+}
+
 static void
 nfsd4_remove_cld_pipe(struct net *net)
 {
@@ -1285,27 +1297,55 @@ nfs4_cld_state_shutdown(struct net *net)
 	kfree(nn->reclaim_str_hashtbl);
 }
 
+static bool
+cld_running(struct nfsd_net *nn)
+{
+	struct cld_net *cn = nn->cld_net;
+	struct rpc_pipe *pipe = cn->cn_pipe;
+
+	return pipe->nreaders || pipe->nwriters;
+}
+
 static int
 nfsd4_cld_tracking_init(struct net *net)
 {
 	int status;
 	struct nfsd_net *nn = net_generic(net, nfsd_net_id);
+	bool running;
+	int retries = 10;
 
 	status = nfs4_cld_state_init(net);
 	if (status)
 		return status;
 
-	status = nfsd4_init_cld_pipe(net);
+	status = __nfsd4_init_cld_pipe(net);
 	if (status)
 		goto err_shutdown;
 
+	/*
+	 * rpc pipe upcalls take 30 seconds to time out, so we don't want to
+	 * queue an upcall unless we know that nfsdcld is running (because we
+	 * want this to fail fast so that nfsd4_client_tracking_init() can try
+	 * the next client tracking method).  nfsdcld should already be running
+	 * before nfsd is started, so the wait here is for nfsdcld to open the
+	 * pipefs file we just created.
+	 */
+	while (!(running = cld_running(nn)) && retries--)
+		msleep(100);
+
+	if (!running) {
+		status = -ETIMEDOUT;
+		goto err_remove;
+	}
+
 	status = nfsd4_cld_grace_start(nn);
 	if (status) {
 		if (status == -EOPNOTSUPP)
 			printk(KERN_WARNING "NFSD: Please upgrade nfsdcld.\n");
 		nfs4_release_reclaim(nn);
 		goto err_remove;
-	}
+	} else
+		printk("NFSD: Using nfsdcld client tracking operations.\n");
 	return 0;
 
 err_remove:
@@ -1552,6 +1592,8 @@ nfsd4_umh_cltrack_init(struct net *net)
 
 	ret = nfsd4_umh_cltrack_upcall("init", NULL, grace_start, NULL);
 	kfree(grace_start);
+	if (!ret)
+		printk("NFSD: Using UMH upcall client tracking operations.\n");
 	return ret;
 }
 
@@ -1701,9 +1743,20 @@ nfsd4_client_tracking_init(struct net *net)
 	if (nn->client_tracking_ops)
 		goto do_init;
 
+	/* First, try to use nfsdcld */
+	nn->client_tracking_ops = &nfsd4_cld_tracking_ops;
+	status = nn->client_tracking_ops->init(net);
+	if (!status)
+		return status;
+	if (status != -ETIMEDOUT) {
+		nn->client_tracking_ops = &nfsd4_cld_tracking_ops_v0;
+		status = nn->client_tracking_ops->init(net);
+		if (!status)
+			return status;
+	}
+
 	/*
-	 * First, try a UMH upcall. It should succeed or fail quickly, so
-	 * there's little harm in trying that first.
+	 * Next, try the UMH upcall.
 	 */
 	nn->client_tracking_ops = &nfsd4_umh_tracking_ops;
 	status = nn->client_tracking_ops->init(net);
@@ -1711,26 +1764,23 @@ nfsd4_client_tracking_init(struct net *net)
 		return status;
 
 	/*
-	 * See if the recoverydir exists and is a directory. If it is,
-	 * then use the legacy ops.
+	 * Finally, See if the recoverydir exists and is a directory.
+	 * If it is, then use the legacy ops.
 	 */
 	nn->client_tracking_ops = &nfsd4_legacy_tracking_ops;
 	status = kern_path(nfs4_recoverydir(), LOOKUP_FOLLOW, &path);
 	if (!status) {
 		status = d_is_dir(path.dentry);
 		path_put(&path);
-		if (status)
-			goto do_init;
+		if (!status) {
+			status = -EINVAL;
+			goto out;
+		}
 	}
 
-	/* Finally, try to use nfsdcld */
-	nn->client_tracking_ops = &nfsd4_cld_tracking_ops;
-	status = nn->client_tracking_ops->init(net);
-	if (!status)
-		return status;
-	nn->client_tracking_ops = &nfsd4_cld_tracking_ops_v0;
 do_init:
 	status = nn->client_tracking_ops->init(net);
+out:
 	if (status) {
 		printk(KERN_WARNING "NFSD: Unable to initialize client "
 				    "recovery tracking! (%d)\n", status);