diff --git a/net/sunrpc/auth_gss/svcauth_gss.c b/net/sunrpc/auth_gss/svcauth_gss.c
index 60dc3700b2cb..2a935404047f 100644
--- a/net/sunrpc/auth_gss/svcauth_gss.c
+++ b/net/sunrpc/auth_gss/svcauth_gss.c
@@ -1263,41 +1263,35 @@ out:
 	return ret;
 }
 
-DEFINE_SPINLOCK(use_gssp_lock);
+/*
+ * Try to set the sn->use_gss_proxy variable to a new value. We only allow
+ * it to be changed if it's currently undefined (-1). If it's any other value
+ * then return -EBUSY unless the type wouldn't have changed anyway.
+ */
+static int set_gss_proxy(struct net *net, int type)
+{
+	struct sunrpc_net *sn = net_generic(net, sunrpc_net_id);
+	int ret;
+
+	WARN_ON_ONCE(type != 0 && type != 1);
+	ret = cmpxchg(&sn->use_gss_proxy, -1, type);
+	if (ret != -1 && ret != type)
+		return -EBUSY;
+	return 0;
+}
 
 static bool use_gss_proxy(struct net *net)
 {
 	struct sunrpc_net *sn = net_generic(net, sunrpc_net_id);
 
-	if (sn->use_gss_proxy != -1)
-		return sn->use_gss_proxy;
-	spin_lock(&use_gssp_lock);
-	/*
-	 * If you wanted gss-proxy, you should have said so before
-	 * starting to accept requests:
-	 */
-	sn->use_gss_proxy = 0;
-	spin_unlock(&use_gssp_lock);
-	return 0;
+	/* If use_gss_proxy is still undefined, then try to disable it */
+	if (sn->use_gss_proxy == -1)
+		set_gss_proxy(net, 0);
+	return sn->use_gss_proxy;
 }
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_PROC_FS
 
-static int set_gss_proxy(struct net *net, int type)
-{
-	struct sunrpc_net *sn = net_generic(net, sunrpc_net_id);
-	int ret = 0;
-
-	WARN_ON_ONCE(type != 0 && type != 1);
-	spin_lock(&use_gssp_lock);
-	if (sn->use_gss_proxy == -1 || sn->use_gss_proxy == type)
-		sn->use_gss_proxy = type;
-	else
-		ret = -EBUSY;
-	spin_unlock(&use_gssp_lock);
-	return ret;
-}
-
 static ssize_t write_gssp(struct file *file, const char __user *buf,
 			 size_t count, loff_t *ppos)
 {