diff --git a/net/9p/trans_fd.c b/net/9p/trans_fd.c
index aa4586672cee..91f71958c2e1 100644
--- a/net/9p/trans_fd.c
+++ b/net/9p/trans_fd.c
@@ -295,7 +295,6 @@ static void p9_read_work(struct work_struct *work)
 {
 	int n, err;
 	struct p9_conn *m;
-	int status = REQ_STATUS_ERROR;
 
 	m = container_of(work, struct p9_conn, rq);
 
@@ -375,11 +374,17 @@ static void p9_read_work(struct work_struct *work)
 	if ((m->req) && (m->rc.offset == m->rc.capacity)) {
 		p9_debug(P9_DEBUG_TRANS, "got new packet\n");
 		spin_lock(&m->client->lock);
-		if (m->req->status != REQ_STATUS_ERROR)
-			status = REQ_STATUS_RCVD;
-		list_del(&m->req->req_list);
-		/* update req->status while holding client->lock  */
-		p9_client_cb(m->client, m->req, status);
+		if (m->req->status == REQ_STATUS_SENT) {
+			list_del(&m->req->req_list);
+			p9_client_cb(m->client, m->req, REQ_STATUS_RCVD);
+		} else {
+			spin_unlock(&m->client->lock);
+			p9_debug(P9_DEBUG_ERROR,
+				 "Request tag %d errored out while we were reading the reply\n",
+				 m->rc.tag);
+			err = -EIO;
+			goto error;
+		}
 		spin_unlock(&m->client->lock);
 		m->rc.sdata = NULL;
 		m->rc.offset = 0;