diff --git a/fs/dlm/lockspace.c b/fs/dlm/lockspace.c
index 96fe8f7ca09c..d0b4e2181a5f 100644
--- a/fs/dlm/lockspace.c
+++ b/fs/dlm/lockspace.c
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
 #include "recoverd.h"
 #include "dir.h"
 #include "midcomms.h"
-#include "lowcomms.h"
 #include "config.h"
 #include "memory.h"
 #include "lock.h"
@@ -723,7 +722,7 @@ static int __dlm_new_lockspace(const char *name, const char *cluster,
 	if (!ls_count) {
 		dlm_scand_stop();
 		dlm_midcomms_shutdown();
-		dlm_lowcomms_stop();
+		dlm_midcomms_stop();
 	}
  out:
 	mutex_unlock(&ls_lock);
@@ -926,7 +925,7 @@ int dlm_release_lockspace(void *lockspace, int force)
 	if (!error)
 		ls_count--;
 	if (!ls_count)
-		dlm_lowcomms_stop();
+		dlm_midcomms_stop();
 	mutex_unlock(&ls_lock);
 
 	return error;
diff --git a/fs/dlm/lowcomms.c b/fs/dlm/lowcomms.c
index b05c6d9b5102..0dcb69cc456a 100644
--- a/fs/dlm/lowcomms.c
+++ b/fs/dlm/lowcomms.c
@@ -1987,10 +1987,6 @@ static const struct dlm_proto_ops dlm_sctp_ops = {
 int dlm_lowcomms_start(void)
 {
 	int error = -EINVAL;
-	int i;
-
-	for (i = 0; i < CONN_HASH_SIZE; i++)
-		INIT_HLIST_HEAD(&connection_hash[i]);
 
 	init_local();
 	if (!dlm_local_count) {
@@ -1999,8 +1995,6 @@ int dlm_lowcomms_start(void)
 		goto fail;
 	}
 
-	INIT_WORK(&listen_con.rwork, process_listen_recv_socket);
-
 	error = work_start();
 	if (error)
 		goto fail_local;
@@ -2039,6 +2033,16 @@ int dlm_lowcomms_start(void)
 	return error;
 }
 
+void dlm_lowcomms_init(void)
+{
+	int i;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < CONN_HASH_SIZE; i++)
+		INIT_HLIST_HEAD(&connection_hash[i]);
+
+	INIT_WORK(&listen_con.rwork, process_listen_recv_socket);
+}
+
 void dlm_lowcomms_exit(void)
 {
 	struct dlm_node_addr *na, *safe;
diff --git a/fs/dlm/lowcomms.h b/fs/dlm/lowcomms.h
index 29369feea991..bbce7a18416d 100644
--- a/fs/dlm/lowcomms.h
+++ b/fs/dlm/lowcomms.h
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ extern int dlm_allow_conn;
 int dlm_lowcomms_start(void);
 void dlm_lowcomms_shutdown(void);
 void dlm_lowcomms_stop(void);
+void dlm_lowcomms_init(void);
 void dlm_lowcomms_exit(void);
 int dlm_lowcomms_close(int nodeid);
 struct dlm_msg *dlm_lowcomms_new_msg(int nodeid, int len, gfp_t allocation,
diff --git a/fs/dlm/main.c b/fs/dlm/main.c
index 1c5be4b70ac1..a77338be3237 100644
--- a/fs/dlm/main.c
+++ b/fs/dlm/main.c
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 #include "user.h"
 #include "memory.h"
 #include "config.h"
-#include "lowcomms.h"
+#include "midcomms.h"
 
 #define CREATE_TRACE_POINTS
 #include <trace/events/dlm.h>
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ static int __init init_dlm(void)
 	if (error)
 		goto out;
 
+	dlm_midcomms_init();
+
 	error = dlm_lockspace_init();
 	if (error)
 		goto out_mem;
@@ -66,6 +68,7 @@ static int __init init_dlm(void)
  out_lockspace:
 	dlm_lockspace_exit();
  out_mem:
+	dlm_midcomms_exit();
 	dlm_memory_exit();
  out:
 	return error;
@@ -79,7 +82,7 @@ static void __exit exit_dlm(void)
 	dlm_config_exit();
 	dlm_memory_exit();
 	dlm_lockspace_exit();
-	dlm_lowcomms_exit();
+	dlm_midcomms_exit();
 	dlm_unregister_debugfs();
 }
 
diff --git a/fs/dlm/midcomms.c b/fs/dlm/midcomms.c
index 960def5ab530..6b4c72fb0171 100644
--- a/fs/dlm/midcomms.c
+++ b/fs/dlm/midcomms.c
@@ -1205,13 +1205,28 @@ void dlm_midcomms_commit_mhandle(struct dlm_mhandle *mh,
 #endif
 
 int dlm_midcomms_start(void)
+{
+	return dlm_lowcomms_start();
+}
+
+void dlm_midcomms_stop(void)
+{
+	dlm_lowcomms_stop();
+}
+
+void dlm_midcomms_init(void)
 {
 	int i;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < CONN_HASH_SIZE; i++)
 		INIT_HLIST_HEAD(&node_hash[i]);
 
-	return dlm_lowcomms_start();
+	dlm_lowcomms_init();
+}
+
+void dlm_midcomms_exit(void)
+{
+	dlm_lowcomms_exit();
 }
 
 static void dlm_act_fin_ack_rcv(struct midcomms_node *node)
diff --git a/fs/dlm/midcomms.h b/fs/dlm/midcomms.h
index d6286e80b077..69296552d5ad 100644
--- a/fs/dlm/midcomms.h
+++ b/fs/dlm/midcomms.h
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@ void dlm_midcomms_commit_mhandle(struct dlm_mhandle *mh, const void *name,
 				 int namelen);
 int dlm_midcomms_close(int nodeid);
 int dlm_midcomms_start(void);
+void dlm_midcomms_stop(void);
+void dlm_midcomms_init(void);
+void dlm_midcomms_exit(void);
 void dlm_midcomms_shutdown(void);
 void dlm_midcomms_add_member(int nodeid);
 void dlm_midcomms_remove_member(int nodeid);