diff --git a/fs/nfsd/blocklayoutxdr.c b/fs/nfsd/blocklayoutxdr.c
index 8e9c1a0f8d38..1ed2f691ebb9 100644
--- a/fs/nfsd/blocklayoutxdr.c
+++ b/fs/nfsd/blocklayoutxdr.c
@@ -83,6 +83,15 @@ nfsd4_block_encode_getdeviceinfo(struct xdr_stream *xdr,
 	int len = sizeof(__be32), ret, i;
 	__be32 *p;
 
+	/*
+	 * See paragraph 5 of RFC 8881 S18.40.3.
+	 */
+	if (!gdp->gd_maxcount) {
+		if (xdr_stream_encode_u32(xdr, 0) != XDR_UNIT)
+			return nfserr_resource;
+		return nfs_ok;
+	}
+
 	p = xdr_reserve_space(xdr, len + sizeof(__be32));
 	if (!p)
 		return nfserr_resource;
diff --git a/fs/nfsd/flexfilelayoutxdr.c b/fs/nfsd/flexfilelayoutxdr.c
index e81d2a5cf381..bb205328e043 100644
--- a/fs/nfsd/flexfilelayoutxdr.c
+++ b/fs/nfsd/flexfilelayoutxdr.c
@@ -85,6 +85,15 @@ nfsd4_ff_encode_getdeviceinfo(struct xdr_stream *xdr,
 	int addr_len;
 	__be32 *p;
 
+	/*
+	 * See paragraph 5 of RFC 8881 S18.40.3.
+	 */
+	if (!gdp->gd_maxcount) {
+		if (xdr_stream_encode_u32(xdr, 0) != XDR_UNIT)
+			return nfserr_resource;
+		return nfs_ok;
+	}
+
 	/* len + padding for two strings */
 	addr_len = 16 + da->netaddr.netid_len + da->netaddr.addr_len;
 	ver_len = 20;
diff --git a/fs/nfsd/nfs4xdr.c b/fs/nfsd/nfs4xdr.c
index ee1a24debd60..679d9be4abd4 100644
--- a/fs/nfsd/nfs4xdr.c
+++ b/fs/nfsd/nfs4xdr.c
@@ -4681,20 +4681,17 @@ nfsd4_encode_getdeviceinfo(struct nfsd4_compoundres *resp, __be32 nfserr,
 
 	*p++ = cpu_to_be32(gdev->gd_layout_type);
 
-	/* If maxcount is 0 then just update notifications */
-	if (gdev->gd_maxcount != 0) {
-		ops = nfsd4_layout_ops[gdev->gd_layout_type];
-		nfserr = ops->encode_getdeviceinfo(xdr, gdev);
-		if (nfserr) {
-			/*
-			 * We don't bother to burden the layout drivers with
-			 * enforcing gd_maxcount, just tell the client to
-			 * come back with a bigger buffer if it's not enough.
-			 */
-			if (xdr->buf->len + 4 > gdev->gd_maxcount)
-				goto toosmall;
-			return nfserr;
-		}
+	ops = nfsd4_layout_ops[gdev->gd_layout_type];
+	nfserr = ops->encode_getdeviceinfo(xdr, gdev);
+	if (nfserr) {
+		/*
+		 * We don't bother to burden the layout drivers with
+		 * enforcing gd_maxcount, just tell the client to
+		 * come back with a bigger buffer if it's not enough.
+		 */
+		if (xdr->buf->len + 4 > gdev->gd_maxcount)
+			goto toosmall;
+		return nfserr;
 	}
 
 	if (gdev->gd_notify_types) {