diff --git a/fs/smb/client/connect.c b/fs/smb/client/connect.c
index acb8951eb757..5b8db0a8ba1b 100644
--- a/fs/smb/client/connect.c
+++ b/fs/smb/client/connect.c
@@ -205,13 +205,14 @@ cifs_signal_cifsd_for_reconnect(struct TCP_Server_Info *server,
 	/* If server is a channel, select the primary channel */
 	pserver = CIFS_SERVER_IS_CHAN(server) ? server->primary_server : server;
 
-	spin_lock(&pserver->srv_lock);
+	/* if we need to signal just this channel */
 	if (!all_channels) {
-		pserver->tcpStatus = CifsNeedReconnect;
-		spin_unlock(&pserver->srv_lock);
+		spin_lock(&server->srv_lock);
+		if (server->tcpStatus != CifsExiting)
+			server->tcpStatus = CifsNeedReconnect;
+		spin_unlock(&server->srv_lock);
 		return;
 	}
-	spin_unlock(&pserver->srv_lock);
 
 	spin_lock(&cifs_tcp_ses_lock);
 	list_for_each_entry(ses, &pserver->smb_ses_list, smb_ses_list) {