diff --git a/fs/nfs/nfs4state.c b/fs/nfs/nfs4state.c
index 62c08bf60e65..452f4c8dadea 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/nfs4state.c
+++ b/fs/nfs/nfs4state.c
@@ -1255,14 +1255,16 @@ int nfs4_wait_clnt_recover(struct nfs_client *clp)
 
 	might_sleep();
 
+	atomic_inc(&clp->cl_count);
 	res = wait_on_bit(&clp->cl_state, NFS4CLNT_MANAGER_RUNNING,
 			nfs_wait_bit_killable, TASK_KILLABLE);
 	if (res)
-		return res;
-
+		goto out;
 	if (clp->cl_cons_state < 0)
-		return clp->cl_cons_state;
-	return 0;
+		res = clp->cl_cons_state;
+out:
+	nfs_put_client(clp);
+	return res;
 }
 
 int nfs4_client_recover_expired_lease(struct nfs_client *clp)