diff --git a/fs/nfs/flexfilelayout/flexfilelayout.c b/fs/nfs/flexfilelayout/flexfilelayout.c
index 0a26444fe202..7354b6b10478 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/flexfilelayout/flexfilelayout.c
+++ b/fs/nfs/flexfilelayout/flexfilelayout.c
@@ -745,14 +745,14 @@ ff_layout_choose_ds_for_read(struct pnfs_layout_segment *lseg,
 {
 	struct nfs4_ff_layout_segment *fls = FF_LAYOUT_LSEG(lseg);
 	struct nfs4_ff_layout_mirror *mirror;
-	struct nfs4_pnfs_ds *ds;
+	struct nfs4_pnfs_ds *ds = ERR_PTR(-EAGAIN);
 	u32 idx;
 
 	/* mirrors are initially sorted by efficiency */
 	for (idx = start_idx; idx < fls->mirror_array_cnt; idx++) {
 		mirror = FF_LAYOUT_COMP(lseg, idx);
 		ds = nfs4_ff_layout_prepare_ds(lseg, mirror, false);
-		if (!ds)
+		if (IS_ERR(ds))
 			continue;
 
 		if (check_device &&
@@ -760,10 +760,10 @@ ff_layout_choose_ds_for_read(struct pnfs_layout_segment *lseg,
 			continue;
 
 		*best_idx = idx;
-		return ds;
+		break;
 	}
 
-	return NULL;
+	return ds;
 }
 
 static struct nfs4_pnfs_ds *
@@ -933,7 +933,7 @@ retry:
 	for (i = 0; i < pgio->pg_mirror_count; i++) {
 		mirror = FF_LAYOUT_COMP(pgio->pg_lseg, i);
 		ds = nfs4_ff_layout_prepare_ds(pgio->pg_lseg, mirror, true);
-		if (!ds) {
+		if (IS_ERR(ds)) {
 			if (!ff_layout_no_fallback_to_mds(pgio->pg_lseg))
 				goto out_mds;
 			pnfs_generic_pg_cleanup(pgio);
@@ -1839,6 +1839,7 @@ ff_layout_read_pagelist(struct nfs_pgio_header *hdr)
 	u32 idx = hdr->pgio_mirror_idx;
 	int vers;
 	struct nfs_fh *fh;
+	bool ds_fatal_error = false;
 
 	dprintk("--> %s ino %lu pgbase %u req %zu@%llu\n",
 		__func__, hdr->inode->i_ino,
@@ -1846,8 +1847,10 @@ ff_layout_read_pagelist(struct nfs_pgio_header *hdr)
 
 	mirror = FF_LAYOUT_COMP(lseg, idx);
 	ds = nfs4_ff_layout_prepare_ds(lseg, mirror, false);
-	if (!ds)
+	if (IS_ERR(ds)) {
+		ds_fatal_error = nfs_error_is_fatal(PTR_ERR(ds));
 		goto out_failed;
+	}
 
 	ds_clnt = nfs4_ff_find_or_create_ds_client(mirror, ds->ds_clp,
 						   hdr->inode);
@@ -1888,7 +1891,7 @@ ff_layout_read_pagelist(struct nfs_pgio_header *hdr)
 	return PNFS_ATTEMPTED;
 
 out_failed:
-	if (ff_layout_avoid_mds_available_ds(lseg))
+	if (ff_layout_avoid_mds_available_ds(lseg) && !ds_fatal_error)
 		return PNFS_TRY_AGAIN;
 	trace_pnfs_mds_fallback_read_pagelist(hdr->inode,
 			hdr->args.offset, hdr->args.count,
@@ -1909,11 +1912,14 @@ ff_layout_write_pagelist(struct nfs_pgio_header *hdr, int sync)
 	int vers;
 	struct nfs_fh *fh;
 	u32 idx = hdr->pgio_mirror_idx;
+	bool ds_fatal_error = false;
 
 	mirror = FF_LAYOUT_COMP(lseg, idx);
 	ds = nfs4_ff_layout_prepare_ds(lseg, mirror, true);
-	if (!ds)
+	if (IS_ERR(ds)) {
+		ds_fatal_error = nfs_error_is_fatal(PTR_ERR(ds));
 		goto out_failed;
+	}
 
 	ds_clnt = nfs4_ff_find_or_create_ds_client(mirror, ds->ds_clp,
 						   hdr->inode);
@@ -1956,7 +1962,7 @@ ff_layout_write_pagelist(struct nfs_pgio_header *hdr, int sync)
 	return PNFS_ATTEMPTED;
 
 out_failed:
-	if (ff_layout_avoid_mds_available_ds(lseg))
+	if (ff_layout_avoid_mds_available_ds(lseg) && !ds_fatal_error)
 		return PNFS_TRY_AGAIN;
 	trace_pnfs_mds_fallback_write_pagelist(hdr->inode,
 			hdr->args.offset, hdr->args.count,
@@ -1998,7 +2004,7 @@ static int ff_layout_initiate_commit(struct nfs_commit_data *data, int how)
 	idx = calc_ds_index_from_commit(lseg, data->ds_commit_index);
 	mirror = FF_LAYOUT_COMP(lseg, idx);
 	ds = nfs4_ff_layout_prepare_ds(lseg, mirror, true);
-	if (!ds)
+	if (IS_ERR(ds))
 		goto out_err;
 
 	ds_clnt = nfs4_ff_find_or_create_ds_client(mirror, ds->ds_clp,
diff --git a/fs/nfs/flexfilelayout/flexfilelayoutdev.c b/fs/nfs/flexfilelayout/flexfilelayoutdev.c
index d21c5ecfbf1c..95d5dca67145 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/flexfilelayout/flexfilelayoutdev.c
+++ b/fs/nfs/flexfilelayout/flexfilelayoutdev.c
@@ -370,11 +370,11 @@ nfs4_ff_layout_prepare_ds(struct pnfs_layout_segment *lseg,
 			  struct nfs4_ff_layout_mirror *mirror,
 			  bool fail_return)
 {
-	struct nfs4_pnfs_ds *ds = NULL;
+	struct nfs4_pnfs_ds *ds;
 	struct inode *ino = lseg->pls_layout->plh_inode;
 	struct nfs_server *s = NFS_SERVER(ino);
 	unsigned int max_payload;
-	int status;
+	int status = -EAGAIN;
 
 	if (!ff_layout_init_mirror_ds(lseg->pls_layout, mirror))
 		goto noconnect;
@@ -412,7 +412,7 @@ noconnect:
 	ff_layout_send_layouterror(lseg);
 	if (fail_return || !ff_layout_has_available_ds(lseg))
 		pnfs_error_mark_layout_for_return(ino, lseg);
-	ds = NULL;
+	ds = ERR_PTR(status);
 out:
 	return ds;
 }