diff --git a/fs/nfsd/filecache.c b/fs/nfsd/filecache.c
index ef063f93fde9..2521379d28ec 100644
--- a/fs/nfsd/filecache.c
+++ b/fs/nfsd/filecache.c
@@ -61,13 +61,10 @@ static DEFINE_PER_CPU(unsigned long, nfsd_file_total_age);
 static DEFINE_PER_CPU(unsigned long, nfsd_file_evictions);
 
 struct nfsd_fcache_disposal {
-	struct work_struct work;
 	spinlock_t lock;
 	struct list_head freeme;
 };
 
-static struct workqueue_struct *nfsd_filecache_wq __read_mostly;
-
 static struct kmem_cache		*nfsd_file_slab;
 static struct kmem_cache		*nfsd_file_mark_slab;
 static struct list_lru			nfsd_file_lru;
@@ -421,7 +418,37 @@ nfsd_file_dispose_list_delayed(struct list_head *dispose)
 		spin_lock(&l->lock);
 		list_move_tail(&nf->nf_lru, &l->freeme);
 		spin_unlock(&l->lock);
-		queue_work(nfsd_filecache_wq, &l->work);
+		svc_wake_up(nn->nfsd_serv);
+	}
+}
+
+/**
+ * nfsd_file_net_dispose - deal with nfsd_files waiting to be disposed.
+ * @nn: nfsd_net in which to find files to be disposed.
+ *
+ * When files held open for nfsv3 are removed from the filecache, whether
+ * due to memory pressure or garbage collection, they are queued to
+ * a per-net-ns queue.  This function completes the disposal, either
+ * directly or by waking another nfsd thread to help with the work.
+ */
+void nfsd_file_net_dispose(struct nfsd_net *nn)
+{
+	struct nfsd_fcache_disposal *l = nn->fcache_disposal;
+
+	if (!list_empty(&l->freeme)) {
+		LIST_HEAD(dispose);
+		int i;
+
+		spin_lock(&l->lock);
+		for (i = 0; i < 8 && !list_empty(&l->freeme); i++)
+			list_move(l->freeme.next, &dispose);
+		spin_unlock(&l->lock);
+		if (!list_empty(&l->freeme))
+			/* Wake up another thread to share the work
+			 * *before* doing any actual disposing.
+			 */
+			svc_wake_up(nn->nfsd_serv);
+		nfsd_file_dispose_list(&dispose);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -634,27 +661,6 @@ nfsd_file_close_inode_sync(struct inode *inode)
 	flush_delayed_fput();
 }
 
-/**
- * nfsd_file_delayed_close - close unused nfsd_files
- * @work: dummy
- *
- * Scrape the freeme list for this nfsd_net, and then dispose of them
- * all.
- */
-static void
-nfsd_file_delayed_close(struct work_struct *work)
-{
-	LIST_HEAD(head);
-	struct nfsd_fcache_disposal *l = container_of(work,
-			struct nfsd_fcache_disposal, work);
-
-	spin_lock(&l->lock);
-	list_splice_init(&l->freeme, &head);
-	spin_unlock(&l->lock);
-
-	nfsd_file_dispose_list(&head);
-}
-
 static int
 nfsd_file_lease_notifier_call(struct notifier_block *nb, unsigned long arg,
 			    void *data)
@@ -717,10 +723,6 @@ nfsd_file_cache_init(void)
 		return ret;
 
 	ret = -ENOMEM;
-	nfsd_filecache_wq = alloc_workqueue("nfsd_filecache", 0, 0);
-	if (!nfsd_filecache_wq)
-		goto out;
-
 	nfsd_file_slab = kmem_cache_create("nfsd_file",
 				sizeof(struct nfsd_file), 0, 0, NULL);
 	if (!nfsd_file_slab) {
@@ -735,7 +737,6 @@ nfsd_file_cache_init(void)
 		goto out_err;
 	}
 
-
 	ret = list_lru_init(&nfsd_file_lru);
 	if (ret) {
 		pr_err("nfsd: failed to init nfsd_file_lru: %d\n", ret);
@@ -785,8 +786,6 @@ nfsd_file_cache_init(void)
 	nfsd_file_slab = NULL;
 	kmem_cache_destroy(nfsd_file_mark_slab);
 	nfsd_file_mark_slab = NULL;
-	destroy_workqueue(nfsd_filecache_wq);
-	nfsd_filecache_wq = NULL;
 	rhltable_destroy(&nfsd_file_rhltable);
 	goto out;
 }
@@ -832,7 +831,6 @@ nfsd_alloc_fcache_disposal(void)
 	l = kmalloc(sizeof(*l), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!l)
 		return NULL;
-	INIT_WORK(&l->work, nfsd_file_delayed_close);
 	spin_lock_init(&l->lock);
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&l->freeme);
 	return l;
@@ -841,7 +839,6 @@ nfsd_alloc_fcache_disposal(void)
 static void
 nfsd_free_fcache_disposal(struct nfsd_fcache_disposal *l)
 {
-	cancel_work_sync(&l->work);
 	nfsd_file_dispose_list(&l->freeme);
 	kfree(l);
 }
@@ -910,8 +907,6 @@ nfsd_file_cache_shutdown(void)
 	fsnotify_wait_marks_destroyed();
 	kmem_cache_destroy(nfsd_file_mark_slab);
 	nfsd_file_mark_slab = NULL;
-	destroy_workqueue(nfsd_filecache_wq);
-	nfsd_filecache_wq = NULL;
 	rhltable_destroy(&nfsd_file_rhltable);
 
 	for_each_possible_cpu(i) {
diff --git a/fs/nfsd/filecache.h b/fs/nfsd/filecache.h
index e54165a3224f..c61884def906 100644
--- a/fs/nfsd/filecache.h
+++ b/fs/nfsd/filecache.h
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ void nfsd_file_cache_shutdown_net(struct net *net);
 void nfsd_file_put(struct nfsd_file *nf);
 struct nfsd_file *nfsd_file_get(struct nfsd_file *nf);
 void nfsd_file_close_inode_sync(struct inode *inode);
+void nfsd_file_net_dispose(struct nfsd_net *nn);
 bool nfsd_file_is_cached(struct inode *inode);
 __be32 nfsd_file_acquire_gc(struct svc_rqst *rqstp, struct svc_fh *fhp,
 		  unsigned int may_flags, struct nfsd_file **nfp);
diff --git a/fs/nfsd/nfssvc.c b/fs/nfsd/nfssvc.c
index fe61d9bbcc1f..26e203f42edd 100644
--- a/fs/nfsd/nfssvc.c
+++ b/fs/nfsd/nfssvc.c
@@ -956,6 +956,8 @@ nfsd(void *vrqstp)
 
 		svc_recv(rqstp);
 		validate_process_creds();
+
+		nfsd_file_net_dispose(nn);
 	}
 
 	atomic_dec(&nfsdstats.th_cnt);
