diff --git a/fs/nfs_common/nfslocalio.c b/fs/nfs_common/nfslocalio.c
index 09404d142d1a..a74ec08f6c96 100644
--- a/fs/nfs_common/nfslocalio.c
+++ b/fs/nfs_common/nfslocalio.c
@@ -155,11 +155,9 @@ struct nfsd_file *nfs_open_local_fh(nfs_uuid_t *uuid,
 	/* We have an implied reference to net thanks to nfsd_serv_try_get */
 	localio = nfs_to->nfsd_open_local_fh(net, uuid->dom, rpc_clnt,
 					     cred, nfs_fh, fmode);
-	if (IS_ERR(localio)) {
-		rcu_read_lock();
-		nfs_to->nfsd_serv_put(net);
-		rcu_read_unlock();
-	}
+	if (IS_ERR(localio))
+		nfs_to_nfsd_net_put(net);
+
 	return localio;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(nfs_open_local_fh);
diff --git a/fs/nfsd/filecache.c b/fs/nfsd/filecache.c
index c16671135d17..9a62b4da89bb 100644
--- a/fs/nfsd/filecache.c
+++ b/fs/nfsd/filecache.c
@@ -391,19 +391,19 @@ nfsd_file_put(struct nfsd_file *nf)
 }
 
 /**
- * nfsd_file_put_local - put the reference to nfsd_file and local nfsd_serv
- * @nf: nfsd_file of which to put the references
+ * nfsd_file_put_local - put nfsd_file reference and arm nfsd_serv_put in caller
+ * @nf: nfsd_file of which to put the reference
  *
- * First put the reference of the nfsd_file and then put the
- * reference to the associated nn->nfsd_serv.
+ * First save the associated net to return to caller, then put
+ * the reference of the nfsd_file.
  */
-void
-nfsd_file_put_local(struct nfsd_file *nf) __must_hold(rcu)
+struct net *
+nfsd_file_put_local(struct nfsd_file *nf)
 {
 	struct net *net = nf->nf_net;
 
 	nfsd_file_put(nf);
-	nfsd_serv_put(net);
+	return net;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/fs/nfsd/filecache.h b/fs/nfsd/filecache.h
index cadf3c2689c4..d5db6b34ba30 100644
--- a/fs/nfsd/filecache.h
+++ b/fs/nfsd/filecache.h
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ void nfsd_file_cache_shutdown(void);
 int nfsd_file_cache_start_net(struct net *net);
 void nfsd_file_cache_shutdown_net(struct net *net);
 void nfsd_file_put(struct nfsd_file *nf);
-void nfsd_file_put_local(struct nfsd_file *nf);
+struct net *nfsd_file_put_local(struct nfsd_file *nf);
 struct nfsd_file *nfsd_file_get(struct nfsd_file *nf);
 struct file *nfsd_file_file(struct nfsd_file *nf);
 void nfsd_file_close_inode_sync(struct inode *inode);
diff --git a/include/linux/nfslocalio.h b/include/linux/nfslocalio.h
index 3982fea79919..9202f4b24343 100644
--- a/include/linux/nfslocalio.h
+++ b/include/linux/nfslocalio.h
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ struct nfsd_localio_operations {
 						const struct cred *,
 						const struct nfs_fh *,
 						const fmode_t);
-	void (*nfsd_file_put_local)(struct nfsd_file *);
+	struct net *(*nfsd_file_put_local)(struct nfsd_file *);
 	struct file *(*nfsd_file_file)(struct nfsd_file *);
 } ____cacheline_aligned;
 
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ struct nfsd_file *nfs_open_local_fh(nfs_uuid_t *,
 		   struct rpc_clnt *, const struct cred *,
 		   const struct nfs_fh *, const fmode_t);
 
-static inline void nfs_to_nfsd_file_put_local(struct nfsd_file *localio)
+static inline void nfs_to_nfsd_net_put(struct net *net)
 {
 	/*
 	 * Once reference to nfsd_serv is dropped, NFSD could be
@@ -74,10 +74,22 @@ static inline void nfs_to_nfsd_file_put_local(struct nfsd_file *localio)
 	 * by always taking RCU.
 	 */
 	rcu_read_lock();
-	nfs_to->nfsd_file_put_local(localio);
+	nfs_to->nfsd_serv_put(net);
 	rcu_read_unlock();
 }
 
+static inline void nfs_to_nfsd_file_put_local(struct nfsd_file *localio)
+{
+	/*
+	 * Must not hold RCU otherwise nfsd_file_put() can easily trigger:
+	 * "Voluntary context switch within RCU read-side critical section!"
+	 * by scheduling deep in underlying filesystem (e.g. XFS).
+	 */
+	struct net *net = nfs_to->nfsd_file_put_local(localio);
+
+	nfs_to_nfsd_net_put(net);
+}
+
 #else   /* CONFIG_NFS_LOCALIO */
 static inline void nfsd_localio_ops_init(void)
 {