diff --git a/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/klnds/o2iblnd/o2iblnd.c b/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/klnds/o2iblnd/o2iblnd.c
index 74b21fe2c091..df6b1b134709 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/klnds/o2iblnd/o2iblnd.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/klnds/o2iblnd/o2iblnd.c
@@ -1386,8 +1386,8 @@ static void kiblnd_destroy_fmr_pool_list(struct list_head *head)
 {
 	struct kib_fmr_pool *fpo;
 
-	while (!list_empty(head)) {
-		fpo = list_entry(head->next, struct kib_fmr_pool, fpo_list);
+	while ((fpo = list_first_entry_or_null(head, struct kib_fmr_pool,
+					       fpo_list)) != NULL) {
 		list_del(&fpo->fpo_list);
 		kiblnd_destroy_fmr_pool(fpo);
 	}
@@ -1544,14 +1544,16 @@ static int kiblnd_create_fmr_pool(struct kib_fmr_poolset *fps,
 static void kiblnd_fail_fmr_poolset(struct kib_fmr_poolset *fps,
 				    struct list_head *zombies)
 {
+	struct kib_fmr_pool *fpo;
+
 	if (!fps->fps_net) /* initialized? */
 		return;
 
 	spin_lock(&fps->fps_lock);
 
-	while (!list_empty(&fps->fps_pool_list)) {
-		struct kib_fmr_pool *fpo = list_entry(fps->fps_pool_list.next,
-						 struct kib_fmr_pool, fpo_list);
+	while ((fpo = list_first_entry_or_null(&fps->fps_pool_list,
+					       struct kib_fmr_pool,
+					       fpo_list)) != NULL) {
 		fpo->fpo_failed = 1;
 		list_del(&fpo->fpo_list);
 		if (!fpo->fpo_map_count)
@@ -1853,8 +1855,9 @@ static void kiblnd_destroy_pool_list(struct list_head *head)
 {
 	struct kib_pool *pool;
 
-	while (!list_empty(head)) {
-		pool = list_entry(head->next, struct kib_pool, po_list);
+	while ((pool = list_first_entry_or_null(head,
+						struct kib_pool,
+						po_list)) != NULL) {
 		list_del(&pool->po_list);
 
 		LASSERT(pool->po_owner);
@@ -1869,7 +1872,7 @@ static void kiblnd_fail_poolset(struct kib_poolset *ps, struct list_head *zombie
 
 	spin_lock(&ps->ps_lock);
 	while (!list_empty(&ps->ps_pool_list)) {
-		struct kib_pool *po = list_entry(ps->ps_pool_list.next,
+		struct kib_pool *po = list_first_entry(&ps->ps_pool_list,
 					    struct kib_pool, po_list);
 		po->po_failed = 1;
 		list_del(&po->po_list);
diff --git a/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/klnds/o2iblnd/o2iblnd_cb.c b/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/klnds/o2iblnd/o2iblnd_cb.c
index ad1726098ea3..b9585f607463 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/klnds/o2iblnd/o2iblnd_cb.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/klnds/o2iblnd/o2iblnd_cb.c
@@ -98,9 +98,9 @@ kiblnd_txlist_done(struct list_head *txlist, int status)
 {
 	struct kib_tx *tx;
 
-	while (!list_empty(txlist)) {
-		tx = list_entry(txlist->next, struct kib_tx, tx_list);
-
+	while ((tx = list_first_entry_or_null(txlist,
+					      struct kib_tx,
+					      tx_list)) != NULL) {
 		list_del(&tx->tx_list);
 		/* complete now */
 		tx->tx_waiting = 0;
@@ -958,9 +958,9 @@ kiblnd_check_sends_locked(struct kib_conn *conn)
 	LASSERT(conn->ibc_reserved_credits >= 0);
 
 	while (conn->ibc_reserved_credits > 0 &&
-	       !list_empty(&conn->ibc_tx_queue_rsrvd)) {
-		tx = list_entry(conn->ibc_tx_queue_rsrvd.next,
-				struct kib_tx, tx_list);
+	       (tx = list_first_entry_or_null(
+		       &conn->ibc_tx_queue_rsrvd,
+		       struct kib_tx, tx_list)) != NULL) {
 		list_del(&tx->tx_list);
 		list_add_tail(&tx->tx_list, &conn->ibc_tx_queue);
 		conn->ibc_reserved_credits--;
@@ -983,17 +983,17 @@ kiblnd_check_sends_locked(struct kib_conn *conn)
 
 		if (!list_empty(&conn->ibc_tx_queue_nocred)) {
 			credit = 0;
-			tx = list_entry(conn->ibc_tx_queue_nocred.next,
-					struct kib_tx, tx_list);
+			tx = list_first_entry(&conn->ibc_tx_queue_nocred,
+					      struct kib_tx, tx_list);
 		} else if (!list_empty(&conn->ibc_tx_noops)) {
 			LASSERT(!IBLND_OOB_CAPABLE(ver));
 			credit = 1;
-			tx = list_entry(conn->ibc_tx_noops.next,
-					struct kib_tx, tx_list);
+			tx = list_first_entry(&conn->ibc_tx_noops,
+					      struct kib_tx, tx_list);
 		} else if (!list_empty(&conn->ibc_tx_queue)) {
 			credit = 1;
-			tx = list_entry(conn->ibc_tx_queue.next,
-					struct kib_tx, tx_list);
+			tx = list_first_entry(&conn->ibc_tx_queue,
+					      struct kib_tx, tx_list);
 		} else {
 			break;
 		}
@@ -2013,9 +2013,9 @@ kiblnd_handle_early_rxs(struct kib_conn *conn)
 	LASSERT(conn->ibc_state >= IBLND_CONN_ESTABLISHED);
 
 	write_lock_irqsave(&kiblnd_data.kib_global_lock, flags);
-	while (!list_empty(&conn->ibc_early_rxs)) {
-		rx = list_entry(conn->ibc_early_rxs.next,
-				struct kib_rx, rx_list);
+	while ((rx = list_first_entry_or_null(&conn->ibc_early_rxs,
+					      struct kib_rx,
+					      rx_list)) != NULL) {
 		list_del(&rx->rx_list);
 		write_unlock_irqrestore(&kiblnd_data.kib_global_lock, flags);
 
@@ -3311,8 +3311,9 @@ kiblnd_check_conns(int idx)
 	 * NOOP, but there were no non-blocking tx descs
 	 * free to do it last time...
 	 */
-	while (!list_empty(&checksends)) {
-		conn = list_entry(checksends.next, struct kib_conn, ibc_connd_list);
+	while ((conn = list_first_entry_or_null(&checksends,
+						struct kib_conn,
+						ibc_connd_list)) != NULL) {
 		list_del(&conn->ibc_connd_list);
 
 		spin_lock(&conn->ibc_lock);
@@ -3370,11 +3371,12 @@ kiblnd_connd(void *arg)
 
 		dropped_lock = 0;
 
-		if (!list_empty(&kiblnd_data.kib_connd_zombies)) {
+		conn = list_first_entry_or_null(
+			&kiblnd_data.kib_connd_zombies,
+			struct kib_conn, ibc_list);
+		if (conn) {
 			struct kib_peer_ni *peer_ni = NULL;
 
-			conn = list_entry(kiblnd_data.kib_connd_zombies.next,
-					  struct kib_conn, ibc_list);
 			list_del(&conn->ibc_list);
 			if (conn->ibc_reconnect) {
 				peer_ni = conn->ibc_peer;
@@ -3401,9 +3403,9 @@ kiblnd_connd(void *arg)
 					      &kiblnd_data.kib_reconn_wait);
 		}
 
-		if (!list_empty(&kiblnd_data.kib_connd_conns)) {
-			conn = list_entry(kiblnd_data.kib_connd_conns.next,
-					  struct kib_conn, ibc_list);
+		conn = list_first_entry_or_null(&kiblnd_data.kib_connd_conns,
+						struct kib_conn, ibc_list);
+		if (conn) {
 			list_del(&conn->ibc_list);
 
 			spin_unlock_irqrestore(lock, flags);
@@ -3423,11 +3425,11 @@ kiblnd_connd(void *arg)
 						 &kiblnd_data.kib_reconn_list);
 			}
 
-			if (list_empty(&kiblnd_data.kib_reconn_list))
+			conn = list_first_entry_or_null(&kiblnd_data.kib_reconn_list,
+							struct kib_conn, ibc_list);
+			if (!conn)
 				break;
 
-			conn = list_entry(kiblnd_data.kib_reconn_list.next,
-					  struct kib_conn, ibc_list);
 			list_del(&conn->ibc_list);
 
 			spin_unlock_irqrestore(lock, flags);
@@ -3636,9 +3638,10 @@ kiblnd_scheduler(void *arg)
 
 		did_something = 0;
 
-		if (!list_empty(&sched->ibs_conns)) {
-			conn = list_entry(sched->ibs_conns.next, struct kib_conn,
-					  ibc_sched_list);
+		conn = list_first_entry_or_null(&sched->ibs_conns,
+						struct kib_conn,
+						ibc_sched_list);
+		if (conn) {
 			/* take over kib_sched_conns' ref on conn... */
 			LASSERT(conn->ibc_scheduled);
 			list_del(&conn->ibc_sched_list);
diff --git a/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/klnds/socklnd/socklnd.c b/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/klnds/socklnd/socklnd.c
index 785f76cf9067..08feaf7ce33a 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/klnds/socklnd/socklnd.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/klnds/socklnd/socklnd.c
@@ -1566,9 +1566,8 @@ ksocknal_finalize_zcreq(struct ksock_conn *conn)
 
 	spin_unlock(&peer_ni->ksnp_lock);
 
-	while (!list_empty(&zlist)) {
-		tx = list_entry(zlist.next, struct ksock_tx, tx_zc_list);
-
+	while ((tx = list_first_entry_or_null(&zlist, struct ksock_tx,
+					      tx_zc_list)) != NULL) {
 		list_del(&tx->tx_zc_list);
 		ksocknal_tx_decref(tx);
 	}
@@ -2267,8 +2266,8 @@ ksocknal_free_buffers(void)
 		list_del_init(&ksocknal_data.ksnd_idle_noop_txs);
 		spin_unlock(&ksocknal_data.ksnd_tx_lock);
 
-		while (!list_empty(&zlist)) {
-			tx = list_entry(zlist.next, struct ksock_tx, tx_list);
+		while ((tx = list_first_entry_or_null(&zlist, struct ksock_tx,
+						      tx_list)) != NULL) {
 			list_del(&tx->tx_list);
 			kfree(tx);
 		}
diff --git a/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/klnds/socklnd/socklnd_cb.c b/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/klnds/socklnd/socklnd_cb.c
index 8e20f430a3f3..208b8d360d5c 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/klnds/socklnd/socklnd_cb.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/klnds/socklnd/socklnd_cb.c
@@ -36,9 +36,9 @@ ksocknal_alloc_tx(int type, int size)
 		/* searching for a noop tx in free list */
 		spin_lock(&ksocknal_data.ksnd_tx_lock);
 
-		if (!list_empty(&ksocknal_data.ksnd_idle_noop_txs)) {
-			tx = list_entry(ksocknal_data.ksnd_idle_noop_txs.next,
-					struct ksock_tx, tx_list);
+		tx = list_first_entry_or_null(&ksocknal_data.ksnd_idle_noop_txs,
+					      struct ksock_tx, tx_list);
+		if (tx) {
 			LASSERT(tx->tx_desc_size == size);
 			list_del(&tx->tx_list);
 		}
@@ -347,8 +347,8 @@ ksocknal_txlist_done(struct lnet_ni *ni, struct list_head *txlist, int error)
 {
 	struct ksock_tx *tx;
 
-	while (!list_empty(txlist)) {
-		tx = list_entry(txlist->next, struct ksock_tx, tx_list);
+	while ((tx = list_first_entry_or_null(txlist, struct ksock_tx,
+					      tx_list)) != NULL) {
 
 		if (error && tx->tx_lnetmsg) {
 			CNETERR("Deleting packet type %d len %d %s->%s\n",
@@ -1322,9 +1322,10 @@ int ksocknal_scheduler(void *arg)
 
 		/* Ensure I progress everything semi-fairly */
 
-		if (!list_empty(&sched->kss_rx_conns)) {
-			conn = list_entry(sched->kss_rx_conns.next,
-					  struct ksock_conn, ksnc_rx_list);
+		conn = list_first_entry_or_null(&sched->kss_rx_conns,
+						struct ksock_conn,
+						ksnc_rx_list);
+		if (conn) {
 			list_del(&conn->ksnc_rx_list);
 
 			LASSERT(conn->ksnc_rx_scheduled);
@@ -1378,16 +1379,17 @@ int ksocknal_scheduler(void *arg)
 				list_del_init(&sched->kss_zombie_noop_txs);
 			}
 
-			conn = list_entry(sched->kss_tx_conns.next,
-					  struct ksock_conn, ksnc_tx_list);
+			conn = list_first_entry(&sched->kss_tx_conns,
+						struct ksock_conn,
+						ksnc_tx_list);
 			list_del(&conn->ksnc_tx_list);
 
 			LASSERT(conn->ksnc_tx_scheduled);
 			LASSERT(conn->ksnc_tx_ready);
 			LASSERT(!list_empty(&conn->ksnc_tx_queue));
 
-			tx = list_entry(conn->ksnc_tx_queue.next,
-					struct ksock_tx, tx_list);
+			tx = list_first_entry(&conn->ksnc_tx_queue,
+					      struct ksock_tx, tx_list);
 
 			if (conn->ksnc_tx_carrier == tx)
 				ksocknal_next_tx_carrier(conn);
@@ -1900,8 +1902,8 @@ ksocknal_connect(struct ksock_route *route)
 		 * connection for V1.x and V2.x
 		 */
 		if (!list_empty(&peer_ni->ksnp_conns)) {
-			conn = list_entry(peer_ni->ksnp_conns.next,
-					  struct ksock_conn, ksnc_list);
+			conn = list_first_entry(&peer_ni->ksnp_conns,
+						struct ksock_conn, ksnc_list);
 			LASSERT(conn->ksnc_proto == &ksocknal_protocol_v3x);
 		}
 
@@ -2082,10 +2084,10 @@ ksocknal_connd(void *arg)
 			dropped_lock = 1;
 		}
 
-		if (!list_empty(&ksocknal_data.ksnd_connd_connreqs)) {
+		cr = list_first_entry_or_null(&ksocknal_data.ksnd_connd_connreqs,
+					      struct ksock_connreq, ksncr_list);
+		if (cr) {
 			/* Connection accepted by the listener */
-			cr = list_entry(ksocknal_data.ksnd_connd_connreqs.next,
-					struct ksock_connreq, ksncr_list);
 
 			list_del(&cr->ksncr_list);
 			spin_unlock_bh(connd_lock);
@@ -2246,9 +2248,9 @@ ksocknal_flush_stale_txs(struct ksock_peer *peer_ni)
 
 	write_lock_bh(&ksocknal_data.ksnd_global_lock);
 
-	while (!list_empty(&peer_ni->ksnp_tx_queue)) {
-		tx = list_entry(peer_ni->ksnp_tx_queue.next, struct ksock_tx,
-				tx_list);
+	while ((tx = list_first_entry_or_null(&peer_ni->ksnp_tx_queue,
+					      struct ksock_tx,
+					      tx_list)) != NULL) {
 
 		if (ktime_get_seconds() < tx->tx_deadline)
 			break;
@@ -2372,19 +2374,16 @@ ksocknal_check_peer_timeouts(int idx)
 		 * we can't process stale txs right here because we're
 		 * holding only shared lock
 		 */
-		if (!list_empty(&peer_ni->ksnp_tx_queue)) {
-			tx = list_entry(peer_ni->ksnp_tx_queue.next,
-					struct ksock_tx, tx_list);
-
-			if (ktime_get_seconds() >= tx->tx_deadline) {
-				ksocknal_peer_addref(peer_ni);
-				read_unlock(&ksocknal_data.ksnd_global_lock);
+		tx = list_first_entry_or_null(&peer_ni->ksnp_tx_queue,
+					      struct ksock_tx, tx_list);
+		if (tx && ktime_get_seconds() >= tx->tx_deadline) {
+			ksocknal_peer_addref(peer_ni);
+			read_unlock(&ksocknal_data.ksnd_global_lock);
 
-				ksocknal_flush_stale_txs(peer_ni);
+			ksocknal_flush_stale_txs(peer_ni);
 
-				ksocknal_peer_decref(peer_ni);
-				goto again;
-			}
+			ksocknal_peer_decref(peer_ni);
+			goto again;
 		}
 
 		if (list_empty(&peer_ni->ksnp_zc_req_list))
@@ -2449,9 +2448,9 @@ ksocknal_reaper(void *arg)
 	spin_lock_bh(&ksocknal_data.ksnd_reaper_lock);
 
 	while (!ksocknal_data.ksnd_shuttingdown) {
-		if (!list_empty(&ksocknal_data.ksnd_deathrow_conns)) {
-			conn = list_entry(ksocknal_data.ksnd_deathrow_conns.next,
-					  struct ksock_conn, ksnc_list);
+		conn = list_first_entry_or_null(&ksocknal_data.ksnd_deathrow_conns,
+						struct ksock_conn, ksnc_list);
+		if (conn) {
 			list_del(&conn->ksnc_list);
 
 			spin_unlock_bh(&ksocknal_data.ksnd_reaper_lock);
@@ -2463,9 +2462,9 @@ ksocknal_reaper(void *arg)
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		if (!list_empty(&ksocknal_data.ksnd_zombie_conns)) {
-			conn = list_entry(ksocknal_data.ksnd_zombie_conns.next,
-					  struct ksock_conn, ksnc_list);
+		conn = list_first_entry_or_null(&ksocknal_data.ksnd_zombie_conns,
+						struct ksock_conn, ksnc_list);
+		if (conn) {
 			list_del(&conn->ksnc_list);
 
 			spin_unlock_bh(&ksocknal_data.ksnd_reaper_lock);
@@ -2486,9 +2485,9 @@ ksocknal_reaper(void *arg)
 
 		/* reschedule all the connections that stalled with ENOMEM... */
 		nenomem_conns = 0;
-		while (!list_empty(&enomem_conns)) {
-			conn = list_entry(enomem_conns.next, struct ksock_conn,
-					  ksnc_tx_list);
+		while ((conn = list_first_entry_or_null(&enomem_conns,
+							struct ksock_conn,
+							ksnc_tx_list)) != NULL) {
 			list_del(&conn->ksnc_tx_list);
 
 			sched = conn->ksnc_scheduler;
diff --git a/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/klnds/socklnd/socklnd_proto.c b/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/klnds/socklnd/socklnd_proto.c
index c694feceaaf2..e8b95affee96 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/klnds/socklnd/socklnd_proto.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/lustre/lnet/klnds/socklnd/socklnd_proto.c
@@ -447,8 +447,8 @@ ksocknal_handle_zcack(struct ksock_conn *conn, u64 cookie1, u64 cookie2)
 
 	spin_unlock(&peer_ni->ksnp_lock);
 
-	while (!list_empty(&zlist)) {
-		tx = list_entry(zlist.next, struct ksock_tx, tx_zc_list);
+	while ((tx = list_first_entry_or_null(&zlist, struct ksock_tx,
+					      tx_zc_list)) != NULL) {
 		list_del(&tx->tx_zc_list);
 		ksocknal_tx_decref(tx);
 	}
