diff --git a/net/tipc/link.c b/net/tipc/link.c
index ac26f8a657d9..3d73144a1ccc 100644
--- a/net/tipc/link.c
+++ b/net/tipc/link.c
@@ -488,10 +488,11 @@ static void link_state_event(struct tipc_link *l_ptr, unsigned int event)
 	if (!l_ptr->started && (event != STARTING_EVT))
 		return;		/* Not yet. */
 
-	if (link_blocked(l_ptr)) {
+	/* Check whether changeover is going on */
+	if (l_ptr->exp_msg_count) {
 		if (event == TIMEOUT_EVT)
 			link_set_timer(l_ptr, cont_intv);
-		return;	  /* Changeover going on */
+		return;
 	}
 
 	switch (l_ptr->state) {
@@ -1731,7 +1732,8 @@ void tipc_link_send_proto_msg(struct tipc_link *l_ptr, u32 msg_typ,
 		l_ptr->proto_msg_queue = NULL;
 	}
 
-	if (link_blocked(l_ptr))
+	/* Don't send protocol message during link changeover */
+	if (l_ptr->exp_msg_count)
 		return;
 
 	/* Abort non-RESET send if communication with node is prohibited */
@@ -1824,7 +1826,8 @@ static void link_recv_proto_msg(struct tipc_link *l_ptr, struct sk_buff *buf)
 	u32 msg_tol;
 	struct tipc_msg *msg = buf_msg(buf);
 
-	if (link_blocked(l_ptr))
+	/* Discard protocol message during link changeover */
+	if (l_ptr->exp_msg_count)
 		goto exit;
 
 	/* record unnumbered packet arrival (force mismatch on next timeout) */
diff --git a/net/tipc/link.h b/net/tipc/link.h
index 8a6c1026644d..424b1dfe436b 100644
--- a/net/tipc/link.h
+++ b/net/tipc/link.h
@@ -112,7 +112,6 @@ struct tipc_stats {
  * @continuity_interval: link continuity testing interval [in ms]
  * @abort_limit: # of unacknowledged continuity probes needed to reset link
  * @state: current state of link FSM
- * @blocked: indicates if link has been administratively blocked
  * @fsm_msg_cnt: # of protocol messages link FSM has sent in current state
  * @proto_msg: template for control messages generated by link
  * @pmsg: convenience pointer to "proto_msg" field
@@ -162,7 +161,6 @@ struct tipc_link {
 	u32 continuity_interval;
 	u32 abort_limit;
 	int state;
-	int blocked;
 	u32 fsm_msg_cnt;
 	struct {
 		unchar hdr[INT_H_SIZE];
@@ -312,11 +310,6 @@ static inline int link_reset_reset(struct tipc_link *l_ptr)
 	return l_ptr->state == RESET_RESET;
 }
 
-static inline int link_blocked(struct tipc_link *l_ptr)
-{
-	return l_ptr->exp_msg_count || l_ptr->blocked;
-}
-
 static inline int link_congested(struct tipc_link *l_ptr)
 {
 	return l_ptr->out_queue_size >= l_ptr->queue_limit[0];