diff --git a/fs/cifs/cifsglob.h b/fs/cifs/cifsglob.h
index cb950a5fa078..c7ee09d9a236 100644
--- a/fs/cifs/cifsglob.h
+++ b/fs/cifs/cifsglob.h
@@ -1362,6 +1362,7 @@ typedef int (mid_handle_t)(struct TCP_Server_Info *server,
 /* one of these for every pending CIFS request to the server */
 struct mid_q_entry {
 	struct list_head qhead;	/* mids waiting on reply from this server */
+	struct kref refcount;
 	struct TCP_Server_Info *server;	/* server corresponding to this mid */
 	__u64 mid;		/* multiplex id */
 	__u32 pid;		/* process id */
diff --git a/fs/cifs/cifsproto.h b/fs/cifs/cifsproto.h
index 365a414a75e9..c4e5c69810f9 100644
--- a/fs/cifs/cifsproto.h
+++ b/fs/cifs/cifsproto.h
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ extern struct mid_q_entry *AllocMidQEntry(const struct smb_hdr *smb_buffer,
 					struct TCP_Server_Info *server);
 extern void DeleteMidQEntry(struct mid_q_entry *midEntry);
 extern void cifs_delete_mid(struct mid_q_entry *mid);
+extern void cifs_mid_q_entry_release(struct mid_q_entry *midEntry);
 extern void cifs_wake_up_task(struct mid_q_entry *mid);
 extern int cifs_handle_standard(struct TCP_Server_Info *server,
 				struct mid_q_entry *mid);
diff --git a/fs/cifs/connect.c b/fs/cifs/connect.c
index 7a10a5d0731f..90cedf6b3228 100644
--- a/fs/cifs/connect.c
+++ b/fs/cifs/connect.c
@@ -920,8 +920,11 @@ cifs_demultiplex_thread(void *p)
 				length = mid_entry->receive(server, mid_entry);
 		}
 
-		if (length < 0)
+		if (length < 0) {
+			if (mid_entry)
+				cifs_mid_q_entry_release(mid_entry);
 			continue;
+		}
 
 		if (server->large_buf)
 			buf = server->bigbuf;
@@ -938,6 +941,8 @@ cifs_demultiplex_thread(void *p)
 
 			if (!mid_entry->multiRsp || mid_entry->multiEnd)
 				mid_entry->callback(mid_entry);
+
+			cifs_mid_q_entry_release(mid_entry);
 		} else if (server->ops->is_oplock_break &&
 			   server->ops->is_oplock_break(buf, server)) {
 			cifs_dbg(FYI, "Received oplock break\n");
diff --git a/fs/cifs/smb1ops.c b/fs/cifs/smb1ops.c
index aff8ce8ba34d..646dcd149de1 100644
--- a/fs/cifs/smb1ops.c
+++ b/fs/cifs/smb1ops.c
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ cifs_find_mid(struct TCP_Server_Info *server, char *buffer)
 		if (compare_mid(mid->mid, buf) &&
 		    mid->mid_state == MID_REQUEST_SUBMITTED &&
 		    le16_to_cpu(mid->command) == buf->Command) {
+			kref_get(&mid->refcount);
 			spin_unlock(&GlobalMid_Lock);
 			return mid;
 		}
diff --git a/fs/cifs/smb2ops.c b/fs/cifs/smb2ops.c
index 9c6d95ffca97..ba0bc31786d1 100644
--- a/fs/cifs/smb2ops.c
+++ b/fs/cifs/smb2ops.c
@@ -203,6 +203,7 @@ smb2_find_mid(struct TCP_Server_Info *server, char *buf)
 		if ((mid->mid == wire_mid) &&
 		    (mid->mid_state == MID_REQUEST_SUBMITTED) &&
 		    (mid->command == shdr->Command)) {
+			kref_get(&mid->refcount);
 			spin_unlock(&GlobalMid_Lock);
 			return mid;
 		}
diff --git a/fs/cifs/smb2transport.c b/fs/cifs/smb2transport.c
index 8806f3f76c1d..97f24d82ae6b 100644
--- a/fs/cifs/smb2transport.c
+++ b/fs/cifs/smb2transport.c
@@ -548,6 +548,7 @@ smb2_mid_entry_alloc(const struct smb2_sync_hdr *shdr,
 
 	temp = mempool_alloc(cifs_mid_poolp, GFP_NOFS);
 	memset(temp, 0, sizeof(struct mid_q_entry));
+	kref_init(&temp->refcount);
 	temp->mid = le64_to_cpu(shdr->MessageId);
 	temp->pid = current->pid;
 	temp->command = shdr->Command; /* Always LE */
diff --git a/fs/cifs/transport.c b/fs/cifs/transport.c
index 927226a2122f..60faf2fcec7f 100644
--- a/fs/cifs/transport.c
+++ b/fs/cifs/transport.c
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ AllocMidQEntry(const struct smb_hdr *smb_buffer, struct TCP_Server_Info *server)
 
 	temp = mempool_alloc(cifs_mid_poolp, GFP_NOFS);
 	memset(temp, 0, sizeof(struct mid_q_entry));
+	kref_init(&temp->refcount);
 	temp->mid = get_mid(smb_buffer);
 	temp->pid = current->pid;
 	temp->command = cpu_to_le16(smb_buffer->Command);
@@ -82,6 +83,21 @@ AllocMidQEntry(const struct smb_hdr *smb_buffer, struct TCP_Server_Info *server)
 	return temp;
 }
 
+static void _cifs_mid_q_entry_release(struct kref *refcount)
+{
+	struct mid_q_entry *mid = container_of(refcount, struct mid_q_entry,
+					       refcount);
+
+	mempool_free(mid, cifs_mid_poolp);
+}
+
+void cifs_mid_q_entry_release(struct mid_q_entry *midEntry)
+{
+	spin_lock(&GlobalMid_Lock);
+	kref_put(&midEntry->refcount, _cifs_mid_q_entry_release);
+	spin_unlock(&GlobalMid_Lock);
+}
+
 void
 DeleteMidQEntry(struct mid_q_entry *midEntry)
 {
@@ -110,7 +126,7 @@ DeleteMidQEntry(struct mid_q_entry *midEntry)
 		}
 	}
 #endif
-	mempool_free(midEntry, cifs_mid_poolp);
+	cifs_mid_q_entry_release(midEntry);
 }
 
 void
