diff --git a/fs/cifs/connect.c b/fs/cifs/connect.c
index da0720f41ebc..86bdebd2ece6 100644
--- a/fs/cifs/connect.c
+++ b/fs/cifs/connect.c
@@ -3691,9 +3691,10 @@ cifs_match_super(struct super_block *sb, void *data)
 	spin_lock(&cifs_tcp_ses_lock);
 	cifs_sb = CIFS_SB(sb);
 	tlink = cifs_get_tlink(cifs_sb_master_tlink(cifs_sb));
-	if (IS_ERR(tlink)) {
+	if (tlink == NULL) {
+		/* can not match superblock if tlink were ever null */
 		spin_unlock(&cifs_tcp_ses_lock);
-		return rc;
+		return 0;
 	}
 	tcon = tlink_tcon(tlink);
 	ses = tcon->ses;