diff --git a/net/mptcp/protocol.c b/net/mptcp/protocol.c
index fecee0a850d6..efe372ff389d 100644
--- a/net/mptcp/protocol.c
+++ b/net/mptcp/protocol.c
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ static int __mptcp_socket_create(struct mptcp_sock *msk)
 		return err;
 
 	msk->first = ssock->sk;
-	msk->subflow = ssock;
+	WRITE_ONCE(msk->subflow, ssock);
 	subflow = mptcp_subflow_ctx(ssock->sk);
 	list_add(&subflow->node, &msk->conn_list);
 	sock_hold(ssock->sk);
@@ -2269,7 +2269,7 @@ static void mptcp_dispose_initial_subflow(struct mptcp_sock *msk)
 {
 	if (msk->subflow) {
 		iput(SOCK_INODE(msk->subflow));
-		msk->subflow = NULL;
+		WRITE_ONCE(msk->subflow, NULL);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -3115,7 +3115,7 @@ struct sock *mptcp_sk_clone(const struct sock *sk,
 	msk = mptcp_sk(nsk);
 	msk->local_key = subflow_req->local_key;
 	msk->token = subflow_req->token;
-	msk->subflow = NULL;
+	WRITE_ONCE(msk->subflow, NULL);
 	msk->in_accept_queue = 1;
 	WRITE_ONCE(msk->fully_established, false);
 	if (mp_opt->suboptions & OPTION_MPTCP_CSUMREQD)
@@ -3172,7 +3172,7 @@ static struct sock *mptcp_accept(struct sock *sk, int flags, int *err,
 	struct socket *listener;
 	struct sock *newsk;
 
-	listener = msk->subflow;
+	listener = READ_ONCE(msk->subflow);
 	if (WARN_ON_ONCE(!listener)) {
 		*err = -EINVAL;
 		return NULL;
@@ -3746,10 +3746,10 @@ static int mptcp_stream_accept(struct socket *sock, struct socket *newsock,
 
 	pr_debug("msk=%p", msk);
 
-	/* buggy applications can call accept on socket states other then LISTEN
+	/* Buggy applications can call accept on socket states other then LISTEN
 	 * but no need to allocate the first subflow just to error out.
 	 */
-	ssock = msk->subflow;
+	ssock = READ_ONCE(msk->subflow);
 	if (!ssock)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
@@ -3822,10 +3822,12 @@ static __poll_t mptcp_poll(struct file *file, struct socket *sock,
 	state = inet_sk_state_load(sk);
 	pr_debug("msk=%p state=%d flags=%lx", msk, state, msk->flags);
 	if (state == TCP_LISTEN) {
-		if (WARN_ON_ONCE(!msk->subflow || !msk->subflow->sk))
+		struct socket *ssock = READ_ONCE(msk->subflow);
+
+		if (WARN_ON_ONCE(!ssock || !ssock->sk))
 			return 0;
 
-		return inet_csk_listen_poll(msk->subflow->sk);
+		return inet_csk_listen_poll(ssock->sk);
 	}
 
 	if (state != TCP_SYN_SENT && state != TCP_SYN_RECV) {
diff --git a/net/mptcp/protocol.h b/net/mptcp/protocol.h
index 441feeaeb242..822fd749f569 100644
--- a/net/mptcp/protocol.h
+++ b/net/mptcp/protocol.h
@@ -297,7 +297,11 @@ struct mptcp_sock {
 	struct list_head rtx_queue;
 	struct mptcp_data_frag *first_pending;
 	struct list_head join_list;
-	struct socket	*subflow; /* outgoing connect/listener/!mp_capable */
+	struct socket	*subflow; /* outgoing connect/listener/!mp_capable
+				   * The mptcp ops can safely dereference, using suitable
+				   * ONCE annotation, the subflow outside the socket
+				   * lock as such sock is freed after close().
+				   */
 	struct sock	*first;
 	struct mptcp_pm_data	pm;
 	struct {