diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/ulp/rtrs/rtrs-srv.c b/drivers/infiniband/ulp/rtrs/rtrs-srv.c
index d6f93601712e4..1cb778aff3c59 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/ulp/rtrs/rtrs-srv.c
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/ulp/rtrs/rtrs-srv.c
@@ -1328,17 +1328,42 @@ static void rtrs_srv_dev_release(struct device *dev)
 	kfree(srv);
 }
 
-static struct rtrs_srv *__alloc_srv(struct rtrs_srv_ctx *ctx,
-				     const uuid_t *paths_uuid)
+static void free_srv(struct rtrs_srv *srv)
+{
+	int i;
+
+	WARN_ON(refcount_read(&srv->refcount));
+	for (i = 0; i < srv->queue_depth; i++)
+		mempool_free(srv->chunks[i], chunk_pool);
+	kfree(srv->chunks);
+	mutex_destroy(&srv->paths_mutex);
+	mutex_destroy(&srv->paths_ev_mutex);
+	/* last put to release the srv structure */
+	put_device(&srv->dev);
+}
+
+static struct rtrs_srv *get_or_create_srv(struct rtrs_srv_ctx *ctx,
+					   const uuid_t *paths_uuid)
 {
 	struct rtrs_srv *srv;
 	int i;
 
+	mutex_lock(&ctx->srv_mutex);
+	list_for_each_entry(srv, &ctx->srv_list, ctx_list) {
+		if (uuid_equal(&srv->paths_uuid, paths_uuid) &&
+		    refcount_inc_not_zero(&srv->refcount)) {
+			mutex_unlock(&ctx->srv_mutex);
+			return srv;
+		}
+	}
+
+	/* need to allocate a new srv */
 	srv = kzalloc(sizeof(*srv), GFP_KERNEL);
-	if  (!srv)
+	if  (!srv) {
+		mutex_unlock(&ctx->srv_mutex);
 		return NULL;
+	}
 
-	refcount_set(&srv->refcount, 1);
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&srv->paths_list);
 	mutex_init(&srv->paths_mutex);
 	mutex_init(&srv->paths_ev_mutex);
@@ -1347,6 +1372,8 @@ static struct rtrs_srv *__alloc_srv(struct rtrs_srv_ctx *ctx,
 	srv->ctx = ctx;
 	device_initialize(&srv->dev);
 	srv->dev.release = rtrs_srv_dev_release;
+	list_add(&srv->ctx_list, &ctx->srv_list);
+	mutex_unlock(&ctx->srv_mutex);
 
 	srv->chunks = kcalloc(srv->queue_depth, sizeof(*srv->chunks),
 			      GFP_KERNEL);
@@ -1358,7 +1385,7 @@ static struct rtrs_srv *__alloc_srv(struct rtrs_srv_ctx *ctx,
 		if (!srv->chunks[i])
 			goto err_free_chunks;
 	}
-	list_add(&srv->ctx_list, &ctx->srv_list);
+	refcount_set(&srv->refcount, 1);
 
 	return srv;
 
@@ -1369,52 +1396,9 @@ static struct rtrs_srv *__alloc_srv(struct rtrs_srv_ctx *ctx,
 
 err_free_srv:
 	kfree(srv);
-
 	return NULL;
 }
 
-static void free_srv(struct rtrs_srv *srv)
-{
-	int i;
-
-	WARN_ON(refcount_read(&srv->refcount));
-	for (i = 0; i < srv->queue_depth; i++)
-		mempool_free(srv->chunks[i], chunk_pool);
-	kfree(srv->chunks);
-	mutex_destroy(&srv->paths_mutex);
-	mutex_destroy(&srv->paths_ev_mutex);
-	/* last put to release the srv structure */
-	put_device(&srv->dev);
-}
-
-static inline struct rtrs_srv *__find_srv_and_get(struct rtrs_srv_ctx *ctx,
-						   const uuid_t *paths_uuid)
-{
-	struct rtrs_srv *srv;
-
-	list_for_each_entry(srv, &ctx->srv_list, ctx_list) {
-		if (uuid_equal(&srv->paths_uuid, paths_uuid) &&
-		    refcount_inc_not_zero(&srv->refcount))
-			return srv;
-	}
-
-	return NULL;
-}
-
-static struct rtrs_srv *get_or_create_srv(struct rtrs_srv_ctx *ctx,
-					   const uuid_t *paths_uuid)
-{
-	struct rtrs_srv *srv;
-
-	mutex_lock(&ctx->srv_mutex);
-	srv = __find_srv_and_get(ctx, paths_uuid);
-	if (!srv)
-		srv = __alloc_srv(ctx, paths_uuid);
-	mutex_unlock(&ctx->srv_mutex);
-
-	return srv;
-}
-
 static void put_srv(struct rtrs_srv *srv)
 {
 	if (refcount_dec_and_test(&srv->refcount)) {
@@ -1813,7 +1797,11 @@ static int rtrs_rdma_connect(struct rdma_cm_id *cm_id,
 	}
 	recon_cnt = le16_to_cpu(msg->recon_cnt);
 	srv = get_or_create_srv(ctx, &msg->paths_uuid);
-	if (!srv) {
+	/*
+	 * "refcount == 0" happens if a previous thread calls get_or_create_srv
+	 * allocate srv, but chunks of srv are not allocated yet.
+	 */
+	if (!srv || refcount_read(&srv->refcount) == 0) {
 		err = -ENOMEM;
 		goto reject_w_err;
 	}