diff --git a/net/mptcp/pm.c b/net/mptcp/pm.c
index 91a62b598de4..45e2a48397b9 100644
--- a/net/mptcp/pm.c
+++ b/net/mptcp/pm.c
@@ -299,22 +299,21 @@ void mptcp_pm_mp_fail_received(struct sock *sk, u64 fail_seq)
 {
 	struct mptcp_subflow_context *subflow = mptcp_subflow_ctx(sk);
 	struct mptcp_sock *msk = mptcp_sk(subflow->conn);
-	struct sock *s = (struct sock *)msk;
 
 	pr_debug("fail_seq=%llu", fail_seq);
 
 	if (!READ_ONCE(msk->allow_infinite_fallback))
 		return;
 
-	if (!READ_ONCE(subflow->mp_fail_response_expect)) {
+	if (!subflow->fail_tout) {
 		pr_debug("send MP_FAIL response and infinite map");
 
 		subflow->send_mp_fail = 1;
 		subflow->send_infinite_map = 1;
-	} else if (!sock_flag(sk, SOCK_DEAD)) {
+		tcp_send_ack(sk);
+	} else {
 		pr_debug("MP_FAIL response received");
-
-		sk_stop_timer(s, &s->sk_timer);
+		WRITE_ONCE(subflow->fail_tout, 0);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/net/mptcp/protocol.c b/net/mptcp/protocol.c
index 17e13396024a..e6fcb61443dd 100644
--- a/net/mptcp/protocol.c
+++ b/net/mptcp/protocol.c
@@ -500,7 +500,7 @@ static void mptcp_set_timeout(struct sock *sk)
 	__mptcp_set_timeout(sk, tout);
 }
 
-static bool tcp_can_send_ack(const struct sock *ssk)
+static inline bool tcp_can_send_ack(const struct sock *ssk)
 {
 	return !((1 << inet_sk_state_load(ssk)) &
 	       (TCPF_SYN_SENT | TCPF_SYN_RECV | TCPF_TIME_WAIT | TCPF_CLOSE | TCPF_LISTEN));
@@ -2175,21 +2175,6 @@ static void mptcp_retransmit_timer(struct timer_list *t)
 	sock_put(sk);
 }
 
-static struct mptcp_subflow_context *
-mp_fail_response_expect_subflow(struct mptcp_sock *msk)
-{
-	struct mptcp_subflow_context *subflow, *ret = NULL;
-
-	mptcp_for_each_subflow(msk, subflow) {
-		if (READ_ONCE(subflow->mp_fail_response_expect)) {
-			ret = subflow;
-			break;
-		}
-	}
-
-	return ret;
-}
-
 static void mptcp_timeout_timer(struct timer_list *t)
 {
 	struct sock *sk = from_timer(sk, t, sk_timer);
@@ -2518,27 +2503,50 @@ reset_timer:
 		mptcp_reset_timer(sk);
 }
 
+/* schedule the timeout timer for the relevant event: either close timeout
+ * or mp_fail timeout. The close timeout takes precedence on the mp_fail one
+ */
+void mptcp_reset_timeout(struct mptcp_sock *msk, unsigned long fail_tout)
+{
+	struct sock *sk = (struct sock *)msk;
+	unsigned long timeout, close_timeout;
+
+	if (!fail_tout && !sock_flag(sk, SOCK_DEAD))
+		return;
+
+	close_timeout = inet_csk(sk)->icsk_mtup.probe_timestamp - tcp_jiffies32 + jiffies + TCP_TIMEWAIT_LEN;
+
+	/* the close timeout takes precedence on the fail one, and here at least one of
+	 * them is active
+	 */
+	timeout = sock_flag(sk, SOCK_DEAD) ? close_timeout : fail_tout;
+
+	sk_reset_timer(sk, &sk->sk_timer, timeout);
+}
+
 static void mptcp_mp_fail_no_response(struct mptcp_sock *msk)
 {
-	struct mptcp_subflow_context *subflow;
-	struct sock *ssk;
+	struct sock *ssk = msk->first;
 	bool slow;
 
-	subflow = mp_fail_response_expect_subflow(msk);
-	if (subflow) {
-		pr_debug("MP_FAIL doesn't respond, reset the subflow");
+	if (!ssk)
+		return;
 
-		ssk = mptcp_subflow_tcp_sock(subflow);
-		slow = lock_sock_fast(ssk);
-		mptcp_subflow_reset(ssk);
-		unlock_sock_fast(ssk, slow);
-	}
+	pr_debug("MP_FAIL doesn't respond, reset the subflow");
+
+	slow = lock_sock_fast(ssk);
+	mptcp_subflow_reset(ssk);
+	WRITE_ONCE(mptcp_subflow_ctx(ssk)->fail_tout, 0);
+	unlock_sock_fast(ssk, slow);
+
+	mptcp_reset_timeout(msk, 0);
 }
 
 static void mptcp_worker(struct work_struct *work)
 {
 	struct mptcp_sock *msk = container_of(work, struct mptcp_sock, work);
 	struct sock *sk = &msk->sk.icsk_inet.sk;
+	unsigned long fail_tout;
 	int state;
 
 	lock_sock(sk);
@@ -2575,7 +2583,9 @@ static void mptcp_worker(struct work_struct *work)
 	if (test_and_clear_bit(MPTCP_WORK_RTX, &msk->flags))
 		__mptcp_retrans(sk);
 
-	mptcp_mp_fail_no_response(msk);
+	fail_tout = msk->first ? READ_ONCE(mptcp_subflow_ctx(msk->first)->fail_tout) : 0;
+	if (fail_tout && time_after(jiffies, fail_tout))
+		mptcp_mp_fail_no_response(msk);
 
 unlock:
 	release_sock(sk);
@@ -2822,6 +2832,7 @@ static void __mptcp_destroy_sock(struct sock *sk)
 static void mptcp_close(struct sock *sk, long timeout)
 {
 	struct mptcp_subflow_context *subflow;
+	struct mptcp_sock *msk = mptcp_sk(sk);
 	bool do_cancel_work = false;
 
 	lock_sock(sk);
@@ -2840,10 +2851,16 @@ static void mptcp_close(struct sock *sk, long timeout)
 cleanup:
 	/* orphan all the subflows */
 	inet_csk(sk)->icsk_mtup.probe_timestamp = tcp_jiffies32;
-	mptcp_for_each_subflow(mptcp_sk(sk), subflow) {
+	mptcp_for_each_subflow(msk, subflow) {
 		struct sock *ssk = mptcp_subflow_tcp_sock(subflow);
 		bool slow = lock_sock_fast_nested(ssk);
 
+		/* since the close timeout takes precedence on the fail one,
+		 * cancel the latter
+		 */
+		if (ssk == msk->first)
+			subflow->fail_tout = 0;
+
 		sock_orphan(ssk);
 		unlock_sock_fast(ssk, slow);
 	}
@@ -2852,13 +2869,13 @@ cleanup:
 	sock_hold(sk);
 	pr_debug("msk=%p state=%d", sk, sk->sk_state);
 	if (mptcp_sk(sk)->token)
-		mptcp_event(MPTCP_EVENT_CLOSED, mptcp_sk(sk), NULL, GFP_KERNEL);
+		mptcp_event(MPTCP_EVENT_CLOSED, msk, NULL, GFP_KERNEL);
 
 	if (sk->sk_state == TCP_CLOSE) {
 		__mptcp_destroy_sock(sk);
 		do_cancel_work = true;
 	} else {
-		sk_reset_timer(sk, &sk->sk_timer, jiffies + TCP_TIMEWAIT_LEN);
+		mptcp_reset_timeout(msk, 0);
 	}
 	release_sock(sk);
 	if (do_cancel_work)
diff --git a/net/mptcp/protocol.h b/net/mptcp/protocol.h
index 200f89f6d62f..1d2d71711872 100644
--- a/net/mptcp/protocol.h
+++ b/net/mptcp/protocol.h
@@ -468,7 +468,6 @@ struct mptcp_subflow_context {
 		local_id_valid : 1, /* local_id is correctly initialized */
 		valid_csum_seen : 1;        /* at least one csum validated */
 	enum mptcp_data_avail data_avail;
-	bool	mp_fail_response_expect;
 	u32	remote_nonce;
 	u64	thmac;
 	u32	local_nonce;
@@ -482,6 +481,7 @@ struct mptcp_subflow_context {
 	u8	stale_count;
 
 	long	delegated_status;
+	unsigned long	fail_tout;
 
 	);
 
@@ -662,6 +662,7 @@ void mptcp_get_options(const struct sk_buff *skb,
 
 void mptcp_finish_connect(struct sock *sk);
 void __mptcp_set_connected(struct sock *sk);
+void mptcp_reset_timeout(struct mptcp_sock *msk, unsigned long fail_tout);
 static inline bool mptcp_is_fully_established(struct sock *sk)
 {
 	return inet_sk_state_load(sk) == TCP_ESTABLISHED &&
diff --git a/net/mptcp/subflow.c b/net/mptcp/subflow.c
index 42a7c18a1c24..8dfea6a8a82f 100644
--- a/net/mptcp/subflow.c
+++ b/net/mptcp/subflow.c
@@ -971,7 +971,6 @@ static enum mapping_status get_mapping_status(struct sock *ssk,
 {
 	struct mptcp_subflow_context *subflow = mptcp_subflow_ctx(ssk);
 	bool csum_reqd = READ_ONCE(msk->csum_enabled);
-	struct sock *sk = (struct sock *)msk;
 	struct mptcp_ext *mpext;
 	struct sk_buff *skb;
 	u16 data_len;
@@ -1013,9 +1012,6 @@ static enum mapping_status get_mapping_status(struct sock *ssk,
 		pr_debug("infinite mapping received");
 		MPTCP_INC_STATS(sock_net(ssk), MPTCP_MIB_INFINITEMAPRX);
 		subflow->map_data_len = 0;
-		if (!sock_flag(ssk, SOCK_DEAD))
-			sk_stop_timer(sk, &sk->sk_timer);
-
 		return MAPPING_INVALID;
 	}
 
@@ -1162,6 +1158,33 @@ static bool subflow_can_fallback(struct mptcp_subflow_context *subflow)
 		return !subflow->fully_established;
 }
 
+static void mptcp_subflow_fail(struct mptcp_sock *msk, struct sock *ssk)
+{
+	struct mptcp_subflow_context *subflow = mptcp_subflow_ctx(ssk);
+	unsigned long fail_tout;
+
+	/* greceful failure can happen only on the MPC subflow */
+	if (WARN_ON_ONCE(ssk != READ_ONCE(msk->first)))
+		return;
+
+	/* since the close timeout take precedence on the fail one,
+	 * no need to start the latter when the first is already set
+	 */
+	if (sock_flag((struct sock *)msk, SOCK_DEAD))
+		return;
+
+	/* we don't need extreme accuracy here, use a zero fail_tout as special
+	 * value meaning no fail timeout at all;
+	 */
+	fail_tout = jiffies + TCP_RTO_MAX;
+	if (!fail_tout)
+		fail_tout = 1;
+	WRITE_ONCE(subflow->fail_tout, fail_tout);
+	tcp_send_ack(ssk);
+
+	mptcp_reset_timeout(msk, subflow->fail_tout);
+}
+
 static bool subflow_check_data_avail(struct sock *ssk)
 {
 	struct mptcp_subflow_context *subflow = mptcp_subflow_ctx(ssk);
@@ -1236,11 +1259,8 @@ fallback:
 				tcp_send_active_reset(ssk, GFP_ATOMIC);
 				while ((skb = skb_peek(&ssk->sk_receive_queue)))
 					sk_eat_skb(ssk, skb);
-			} else if (!sock_flag(ssk, SOCK_DEAD)) {
-				WRITE_ONCE(subflow->mp_fail_response_expect, true);
-				sk_reset_timer((struct sock *)msk,
-					       &((struct sock *)msk)->sk_timer,
-					       jiffies + TCP_RTO_MAX);
+			} else {
+				mptcp_subflow_fail(msk, ssk);
 			}
 			WRITE_ONCE(subflow->data_avail, MPTCP_SUBFLOW_NODATA);
 			return true;