diff --git a/fs/smb/client/cached_dir.c b/fs/smb/client/cached_dir.c
index 15e1215bc4e5..1a9e705d6500 100644
--- a/fs/smb/client/cached_dir.c
+++ b/fs/smb/client/cached_dir.c
@@ -401,6 +401,7 @@ smb2_close_cached_fid(struct kref *ref)
 {
 	struct cached_fid *cfid = container_of(ref, struct cached_fid,
 					       refcount);
+	int rc;
 
 	spin_lock(&cfid->cfids->cfid_list_lock);
 	if (cfid->on_list) {
@@ -414,9 +415,10 @@ smb2_close_cached_fid(struct kref *ref)
 	cfid->dentry = NULL;
 
 	if (cfid->is_open) {
-		SMB2_close(0, cfid->tcon, cfid->fid.persistent_fid,
+		rc = SMB2_close(0, cfid->tcon, cfid->fid.persistent_fid,
 			   cfid->fid.volatile_fid);
-		atomic_dec(&cfid->tcon->num_remote_opens);
+		if (rc != -EBUSY && rc != -EAGAIN)
+			atomic_dec(&cfid->tcon->num_remote_opens);
 	}
 
 	free_cached_dir(cfid);
diff --git a/fs/smb/client/cifsfs.c b/fs/smb/client/cifsfs.c
index 2131638f26d0..fcb93a66e47c 100644
--- a/fs/smb/client/cifsfs.c
+++ b/fs/smb/client/cifsfs.c
@@ -159,6 +159,7 @@ struct workqueue_struct	*decrypt_wq;
 struct workqueue_struct	*fileinfo_put_wq;
 struct workqueue_struct	*cifsoplockd_wq;
 struct workqueue_struct	*deferredclose_wq;
+struct workqueue_struct	*serverclose_wq;
 __u32 cifs_lock_secret;
 
 /*
@@ -1877,6 +1878,13 @@ init_cifs(void)
 		goto out_destroy_cifsoplockd_wq;
 	}
 
+	serverclose_wq = alloc_workqueue("serverclose",
+					   WQ_FREEZABLE|WQ_MEM_RECLAIM, 0);
+	if (!serverclose_wq) {
+		rc = -ENOMEM;
+		goto out_destroy_serverclose_wq;
+	}
+
 	rc = cifs_init_inodecache();
 	if (rc)
 		goto out_destroy_deferredclose_wq;
@@ -1951,6 +1959,8 @@ init_cifs(void)
 	destroy_workqueue(decrypt_wq);
 out_destroy_cifsiod_wq:
 	destroy_workqueue(cifsiod_wq);
+out_destroy_serverclose_wq:
+	destroy_workqueue(serverclose_wq);
 out_clean_proc:
 	cifs_proc_clean();
 	return rc;
@@ -1980,6 +1990,7 @@ exit_cifs(void)
 	destroy_workqueue(cifsoplockd_wq);
 	destroy_workqueue(decrypt_wq);
 	destroy_workqueue(fileinfo_put_wq);
+	destroy_workqueue(serverclose_wq);
 	destroy_workqueue(cifsiod_wq);
 	cifs_proc_clean();
 }
diff --git a/fs/smb/client/cifsglob.h b/fs/smb/client/cifsglob.h
index 35a12413bbee..b99767c8d373 100644
--- a/fs/smb/client/cifsglob.h
+++ b/fs/smb/client/cifsglob.h
@@ -425,10 +425,10 @@ struct smb_version_operations {
 	/* set fid protocol-specific info */
 	void (*set_fid)(struct cifsFileInfo *, struct cifs_fid *, __u32);
 	/* close a file */
-	void (*close)(const unsigned int, struct cifs_tcon *,
+	int (*close)(const unsigned int, struct cifs_tcon *,
 		      struct cifs_fid *);
 	/* close a file, returning file attributes and timestamps */
-	void (*close_getattr)(const unsigned int xid, struct cifs_tcon *tcon,
+	int (*close_getattr)(const unsigned int xid, struct cifs_tcon *tcon,
 		      struct cifsFileInfo *pfile_info);
 	/* send a flush request to the server */
 	int (*flush)(const unsigned int, struct cifs_tcon *, struct cifs_fid *);
@@ -1408,6 +1408,7 @@ struct cifsFileInfo {
 	bool invalidHandle:1;	/* file closed via session abend */
 	bool swapfile:1;
 	bool oplock_break_cancelled:1;
+	bool offload:1; /* offload final part of _put to a wq */
 	unsigned int oplock_epoch; /* epoch from the lease break */
 	__u32 oplock_level; /* oplock/lease level from the lease break */
 	int count;
@@ -1416,6 +1417,7 @@ struct cifsFileInfo {
 	struct cifs_search_info srch_inf;
 	struct work_struct oplock_break; /* work for oplock breaks */
 	struct work_struct put; /* work for the final part of _put */
+	struct work_struct serverclose; /* work for serverclose */
 	struct delayed_work deferred;
 	bool deferred_close_scheduled; /* Flag to indicate close is scheduled */
 	char *symlink_target;
@@ -2073,6 +2075,7 @@ extern struct workqueue_struct *decrypt_wq;
 extern struct workqueue_struct *fileinfo_put_wq;
 extern struct workqueue_struct *cifsoplockd_wq;
 extern struct workqueue_struct *deferredclose_wq;
+extern struct workqueue_struct *serverclose_wq;
 extern __u32 cifs_lock_secret;
 
 extern mempool_t *cifs_mid_poolp;
diff --git a/fs/smb/client/file.c b/fs/smb/client/file.c
index 606972a95465..53a8c633221b 100644
--- a/fs/smb/client/file.c
+++ b/fs/smb/client/file.c
@@ -459,6 +459,7 @@ cifs_down_write(struct rw_semaphore *sem)
 }
 
 static void cifsFileInfo_put_work(struct work_struct *work);
+void serverclose_work(struct work_struct *work);
 
 struct cifsFileInfo *cifs_new_fileinfo(struct cifs_fid *fid, struct file *file,
 				       struct tcon_link *tlink, __u32 oplock,
@@ -505,6 +506,7 @@ struct cifsFileInfo *cifs_new_fileinfo(struct cifs_fid *fid, struct file *file,
 	cfile->tlink = cifs_get_tlink(tlink);
 	INIT_WORK(&cfile->oplock_break, cifs_oplock_break);
 	INIT_WORK(&cfile->put, cifsFileInfo_put_work);
+	INIT_WORK(&cfile->serverclose, serverclose_work);
 	INIT_DELAYED_WORK(&cfile->deferred, smb2_deferred_work_close);
 	mutex_init(&cfile->fh_mutex);
 	spin_lock_init(&cfile->file_info_lock);
@@ -596,6 +598,40 @@ static void cifsFileInfo_put_work(struct work_struct *work)
 	cifsFileInfo_put_final(cifs_file);
 }
 
+void serverclose_work(struct work_struct *work)
+{
+	struct cifsFileInfo *cifs_file = container_of(work,
+			struct cifsFileInfo, serverclose);
+
+	struct cifs_tcon *tcon = tlink_tcon(cifs_file->tlink);
+
+	struct TCP_Server_Info *server = tcon->ses->server;
+	int rc = 0;
+	int retries = 0;
+	int MAX_RETRIES = 4;
+
+	do {
+		if (server->ops->close_getattr)
+			rc = server->ops->close_getattr(0, tcon, cifs_file);
+		else if (server->ops->close)
+			rc = server->ops->close(0, tcon, &cifs_file->fid);
+
+		if (rc == -EBUSY || rc == -EAGAIN) {
+			retries++;
+			msleep(250);
+		}
+	} while ((rc == -EBUSY || rc == -EAGAIN) && (retries < MAX_RETRIES)
+	);
+
+	if (retries == MAX_RETRIES)
+		pr_warn("Serverclose failed %d times, giving up\n", MAX_RETRIES);
+
+	if (cifs_file->offload)
+		queue_work(fileinfo_put_wq, &cifs_file->put);
+	else
+		cifsFileInfo_put_final(cifs_file);
+}
+
 /**
  * cifsFileInfo_put - release a reference of file priv data
  *
@@ -636,10 +672,13 @@ void _cifsFileInfo_put(struct cifsFileInfo *cifs_file,
 	struct cifs_fid fid = {};
 	struct cifs_pending_open open;
 	bool oplock_break_cancelled;
+	bool serverclose_offloaded = false;
 
 	spin_lock(&tcon->open_file_lock);
 	spin_lock(&cifsi->open_file_lock);
 	spin_lock(&cifs_file->file_info_lock);
+
+	cifs_file->offload = offload;
 	if (--cifs_file->count > 0) {
 		spin_unlock(&cifs_file->file_info_lock);
 		spin_unlock(&cifsi->open_file_lock);
@@ -681,13 +720,20 @@ void _cifsFileInfo_put(struct cifsFileInfo *cifs_file,
 	if (!tcon->need_reconnect && !cifs_file->invalidHandle) {
 		struct TCP_Server_Info *server = tcon->ses->server;
 		unsigned int xid;
+		int rc = 0;
 
 		xid = get_xid();
 		if (server->ops->close_getattr)
-			server->ops->close_getattr(xid, tcon, cifs_file);
+			rc = server->ops->close_getattr(xid, tcon, cifs_file);
 		else if (server->ops->close)
-			server->ops->close(xid, tcon, &cifs_file->fid);
+			rc = server->ops->close(xid, tcon, &cifs_file->fid);
 		_free_xid(xid);
+
+		if (rc == -EBUSY || rc == -EAGAIN) {
+			// Server close failed, hence offloading it as an async op
+			queue_work(serverclose_wq, &cifs_file->serverclose);
+			serverclose_offloaded = true;
+		}
 	}
 
 	if (oplock_break_cancelled)
@@ -695,10 +741,15 @@ void _cifsFileInfo_put(struct cifsFileInfo *cifs_file,
 
 	cifs_del_pending_open(&open);
 
-	if (offload)
-		queue_work(fileinfo_put_wq, &cifs_file->put);
-	else
-		cifsFileInfo_put_final(cifs_file);
+	// if serverclose has been offloaded to wq (on failure), it will
+	// handle offloading put as well. If serverclose not offloaded,
+	// we need to handle offloading put here.
+	if (!serverclose_offloaded) {
+		if (offload)
+			queue_work(fileinfo_put_wq, &cifs_file->put);
+		else
+			cifsFileInfo_put_final(cifs_file);
+	}
 }
 
 int cifs_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
diff --git a/fs/smb/client/smb1ops.c b/fs/smb/client/smb1ops.c
index 64e25233e85d..1aebcf95c195 100644
--- a/fs/smb/client/smb1ops.c
+++ b/fs/smb/client/smb1ops.c
@@ -753,11 +753,11 @@ cifs_set_fid(struct cifsFileInfo *cfile, struct cifs_fid *fid, __u32 oplock)
 	cinode->can_cache_brlcks = CIFS_CACHE_WRITE(cinode);
 }
 
-static void
+static int
 cifs_close_file(const unsigned int xid, struct cifs_tcon *tcon,
 		struct cifs_fid *fid)
 {
-	CIFSSMBClose(xid, tcon, fid->netfid);
+	return CIFSSMBClose(xid, tcon, fid->netfid);
 }
 
 static int
diff --git a/fs/smb/client/smb2ops.c b/fs/smb/client/smb2ops.c
index 978a9f409857..a07b74935583 100644
--- a/fs/smb/client/smb2ops.c
+++ b/fs/smb/client/smb2ops.c
@@ -1392,14 +1392,14 @@ smb2_set_fid(struct cifsFileInfo *cfile, struct cifs_fid *fid, __u32 oplock)
 	memcpy(cfile->fid.create_guid, fid->create_guid, 16);
 }
 
-static void
+static int
 smb2_close_file(const unsigned int xid, struct cifs_tcon *tcon,
 		struct cifs_fid *fid)
 {
-	SMB2_close(xid, tcon, fid->persistent_fid, fid->volatile_fid);
+	return SMB2_close(xid, tcon, fid->persistent_fid, fid->volatile_fid);
 }
 
-static void
+static int
 smb2_close_getattr(const unsigned int xid, struct cifs_tcon *tcon,
 		   struct cifsFileInfo *cfile)
 {
@@ -1410,7 +1410,7 @@ smb2_close_getattr(const unsigned int xid, struct cifs_tcon *tcon,
 	rc = __SMB2_close(xid, tcon, cfile->fid.persistent_fid,
 		   cfile->fid.volatile_fid, &file_inf);
 	if (rc)
-		return;
+		return rc;
 
 	inode = d_inode(cfile->dentry);
 
@@ -1439,6 +1439,7 @@ smb2_close_getattr(const unsigned int xid, struct cifs_tcon *tcon,
 
 	/* End of file and Attributes should not have to be updated on close */
 	spin_unlock(&inode->i_lock);
+	return rc;
 }
 
 static int
diff --git a/fs/smb/client/smb2pdu.c b/fs/smb/client/smb2pdu.c
index 4d7d0bdf7a47..94bd4c6d2d68 100644
--- a/fs/smb/client/smb2pdu.c
+++ b/fs/smb/client/smb2pdu.c
@@ -3549,9 +3549,9 @@ __SMB2_close(const unsigned int xid, struct cifs_tcon *tcon,
 			memcpy(&pbuf->network_open_info,
 			       &rsp->network_open_info,
 			       sizeof(pbuf->network_open_info));
+		atomic_dec(&tcon->num_remote_opens);
 	}
 
-	atomic_dec(&tcon->num_remote_opens);
 close_exit:
 	SMB2_close_free(&rqst);
 	free_rsp_buf(resp_buftype, rsp);