diff --git a/fs/nfsd/nfs4state.c b/fs/nfsd/nfs4state.c
index 2327a8c00862..0f2643dac22a 100644
--- a/fs/nfsd/nfs4state.c
+++ b/fs/nfsd/nfs4state.c
@@ -883,6 +883,13 @@ static struct nfs4_client *alloc_client(struct xdr_netobj name)
 static inline void
 free_client(struct nfs4_client *clp)
 {
+	while (!list_empty(&clp->cl_sessions)) {
+		struct nfsd4_session *ses;
+		ses = list_entry(clp->cl_sessions.next, struct nfsd4_session,
+				se_perclnt);
+		list_del(&ses->se_perclnt);
+		nfsd4_put_session(ses);
+	}
 	if (clp->cl_cred.cr_group_info)
 		put_group_info(clp->cl_cred.cr_group_info);
 	kfree(clp->cl_principal);
@@ -909,15 +916,12 @@ release_session_client(struct nfsd4_session *session)
 static inline void
 unhash_client_locked(struct nfs4_client *clp)
 {
+	struct nfsd4_session *ses;
+
 	mark_client_expired(clp);
 	list_del(&clp->cl_lru);
-	while (!list_empty(&clp->cl_sessions)) {
-		struct nfsd4_session  *ses;
-		ses = list_entry(clp->cl_sessions.next, struct nfsd4_session,
-				 se_perclnt);
-		unhash_session(ses);
-		nfsd4_put_session(ses);
-	}
+	list_for_each_entry(ses, &clp->cl_sessions, se_perclnt)
+		list_del_init(&ses->se_hash);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -1031,6 +1035,8 @@ static struct nfs4_client *create_client(struct xdr_netobj name, char *recdir,
 	if (clp == NULL)
 		return NULL;
 
+	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&clp->cl_sessions);
+
 	princ = svc_gss_principal(rqstp);
 	if (princ) {
 		clp->cl_principal = kstrdup(princ, GFP_KERNEL);
@@ -1047,7 +1053,6 @@ static struct nfs4_client *create_client(struct xdr_netobj name, char *recdir,
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&clp->cl_strhash);
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&clp->cl_openowners);
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&clp->cl_delegations);
-	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&clp->cl_sessions);
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&clp->cl_lru);
 	spin_lock_init(&clp->cl_lock);
 	INIT_WORK(&clp->cl_cb_null.cb_work, nfsd4_do_callback_rpc);