diff --git a/fs/nfs/direct.c b/fs/nfs/direct.c
index 90079ca134dd..b08dbe96bc57 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/direct.c
+++ b/fs/nfs/direct.c
@@ -454,8 +454,16 @@ ssize_t nfs_file_direct_read(struct kiocb *iocb, struct iov_iter *iter,
 	if (user_backed_iter(iter))
 		dreq->flags = NFS_ODIRECT_SHOULD_DIRTY;
 
-	if (!swap)
-		nfs_start_io_direct(inode);
+	if (!swap) {
+		result = nfs_start_io_direct(inode);
+		if (result) {
+			/* release the reference that would usually be
+			 * consumed by nfs_direct_read_schedule_iovec()
+			 */
+			nfs_direct_req_release(dreq);
+			goto out_release;
+		}
+	}
 
 	NFS_I(inode)->read_io += count;
 	requested = nfs_direct_read_schedule_iovec(dreq, iter, iocb->ki_pos);
@@ -1007,7 +1015,14 @@ ssize_t nfs_file_direct_write(struct kiocb *iocb, struct iov_iter *iter,
 		requested = nfs_direct_write_schedule_iovec(dreq, iter, pos,
 							    FLUSH_STABLE);
 	} else {
-		nfs_start_io_direct(inode);
+		result = nfs_start_io_direct(inode);
+		if (result) {
+			/* release the reference that would usually be
+			 * consumed by nfs_direct_write_schedule_iovec()
+			 */
+			nfs_direct_req_release(dreq);
+			goto out_release;
+		}
 
 		requested = nfs_direct_write_schedule_iovec(dreq, iter, pos,
 							    FLUSH_COND_STABLE);
diff --git a/fs/nfs/file.c b/fs/nfs/file.c
index 6800ee92d742..1bb646752e46 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/file.c
+++ b/fs/nfs/file.c
@@ -166,7 +166,10 @@ nfs_file_read(struct kiocb *iocb, struct iov_iter *to)
 		iocb->ki_filp,
 		iov_iter_count(to), (unsigned long) iocb->ki_pos);
 
-	nfs_start_io_read(inode);
+	result = nfs_start_io_read(inode);
+	if (result)
+		return result;
+
 	result = nfs_revalidate_mapping(inode, iocb->ki_filp->f_mapping);
 	if (!result) {
 		result = generic_file_read_iter(iocb, to);
@@ -187,7 +190,10 @@ nfs_file_splice_read(struct file *in, loff_t *ppos, struct pipe_inode_info *pipe
 
 	dprintk("NFS: splice_read(%pD2, %zu@%llu)\n", in, len, *ppos);
 
-	nfs_start_io_read(inode);
+	result = nfs_start_io_read(inode);
+	if (result)
+		return result;
+
 	result = nfs_revalidate_mapping(inode, in->f_mapping);
 	if (!result) {
 		result = filemap_splice_read(in, ppos, pipe, len, flags);
@@ -668,7 +674,9 @@ ssize_t nfs_file_write(struct kiocb *iocb, struct iov_iter *from)
 	nfs_clear_invalid_mapping(file->f_mapping);
 
 	since = filemap_sample_wb_err(file->f_mapping);
-	nfs_start_io_write(inode);
+	error = nfs_start_io_write(inode);
+	if (error)
+		return error;
 	result = generic_write_checks(iocb, from);
 	if (result > 0)
 		result = generic_perform_write(iocb, from);
diff --git a/fs/nfs/internal.h b/fs/nfs/internal.h
index 430733e3eff2..f0c9c7f51e77 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/internal.h
+++ b/fs/nfs/internal.h
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #include "nfs4_fs.h"
 #include <linux/fs_context.h>
 #include <linux/security.h>
+#include <linux/compiler_attributes.h>
 #include <linux/crc32.h>
 #include <linux/sunrpc/addr.h>
 #include <linux/nfs_page.h>
@@ -516,11 +517,11 @@ extern const struct netfs_request_ops nfs_netfs_ops;
 #endif
 
 /* io.c */
-extern void nfs_start_io_read(struct inode *inode);
+extern __must_check int nfs_start_io_read(struct inode *inode);
 extern void nfs_end_io_read(struct inode *inode);
-extern void nfs_start_io_write(struct inode *inode);
+extern  __must_check int nfs_start_io_write(struct inode *inode);
 extern void nfs_end_io_write(struct inode *inode);
-extern void nfs_start_io_direct(struct inode *inode);
+extern __must_check int nfs_start_io_direct(struct inode *inode);
 extern void nfs_end_io_direct(struct inode *inode);
 
 static inline bool nfs_file_io_is_buffered(struct nfs_inode *nfsi)
diff --git a/fs/nfs/io.c b/fs/nfs/io.c
index b5551ed8f648..3388faf2acb9 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/io.c
+++ b/fs/nfs/io.c
@@ -39,19 +39,28 @@ static void nfs_block_o_direct(struct nfs_inode *nfsi, struct inode *inode)
  * Note that buffered writes and truncates both take a write lock on
  * inode->i_rwsem, meaning that those are serialised w.r.t. the reads.
  */
-void
+int
 nfs_start_io_read(struct inode *inode)
 {
 	struct nfs_inode *nfsi = NFS_I(inode);
+	int err;
+
 	/* Be an optimist! */
-	down_read(&inode->i_rwsem);
+	err = down_read_killable(&inode->i_rwsem);
+	if (err)
+		return err;
 	if (test_bit(NFS_INO_ODIRECT, &nfsi->flags) == 0)
-		return;
+		return 0;
 	up_read(&inode->i_rwsem);
+
 	/* Slow path.... */
-	down_write(&inode->i_rwsem);
+	err = down_write_killable(&inode->i_rwsem);
+	if (err)
+		return err;
 	nfs_block_o_direct(nfsi, inode);
 	downgrade_write(&inode->i_rwsem);
+
+	return 0;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -74,11 +83,15 @@ nfs_end_io_read(struct inode *inode)
  * Declare that a buffered read operation is about to start, and ensure
  * that we block all direct I/O.
  */
-void
+int
 nfs_start_io_write(struct inode *inode)
 {
-	down_write(&inode->i_rwsem);
-	nfs_block_o_direct(NFS_I(inode), inode);
+	int err;
+
+	err = down_write_killable(&inode->i_rwsem);
+	if (!err)
+		nfs_block_o_direct(NFS_I(inode), inode);
+	return err;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -119,19 +132,28 @@ static void nfs_block_buffered(struct nfs_inode *nfsi, struct inode *inode)
  * Note that buffered writes and truncates both take a write lock on
  * inode->i_rwsem, meaning that those are serialised w.r.t. O_DIRECT.
  */
-void
+int
 nfs_start_io_direct(struct inode *inode)
 {
 	struct nfs_inode *nfsi = NFS_I(inode);
+	int err;
+
 	/* Be an optimist! */
-	down_read(&inode->i_rwsem);
+	err = down_read_killable(&inode->i_rwsem);
+	if (err)
+		return err;
 	if (test_bit(NFS_INO_ODIRECT, &nfsi->flags) != 0)
-		return;
+		return 0;
 	up_read(&inode->i_rwsem);
+
 	/* Slow path.... */
-	down_write(&inode->i_rwsem);
+	err = down_write_killable(&inode->i_rwsem);
+	if (err)
+		return err;
 	nfs_block_buffered(nfsi, inode);
 	downgrade_write(&inode->i_rwsem);
+
+	return 0;
 }
 
 /**
