diff --git a/fs/smb/client/connect.c b/fs/smb/client/connect.c
index 6ca1e00b3f76..5b1991893834 100644
--- a/fs/smb/client/connect.c
+++ b/fs/smb/client/connect.c
@@ -2070,6 +2070,12 @@ void cifs_put_smb_ses(struct cifs_ses *ses)
 		}
 	}
 
+	/* we now account for primary channel in iface->refcount */
+	if (ses->chans[0].iface) {
+		kref_put(&ses->chans[0].iface->refcount, release_iface);
+		ses->chans[0].server = NULL;
+	}
+
 	sesInfoFree(ses);
 	cifs_put_tcp_session(server, 0);
 }