diff --git a/fs/nfsd/nfssvc.c b/fs/nfsd/nfssvc.c
index cdec3993e0d55134e4badd9ead100880b65e8477..9773f593b3ff97e5a8cfd5d71d2142b3df31fdfb 100644
--- a/fs/nfsd/nfssvc.c
+++ b/fs/nfsd/nfssvc.c
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ int nfsd_create_serv(void)
 	int err = 0;
 	lock_kernel();
 	if (nfsd_serv) {
-		nfsd_serv->sv_nrthreads++;
+		svc_get(nfsd_serv);
 		unlock_kernel();
 		return 0;
 	}
diff --git a/include/linux/sunrpc/svc.h b/include/linux/sunrpc/svc.h
index c27d806af310d9a76c830c19f35e422455fd814c..54d8e7bc23411d51764686133f40517a3a38cdd2 100644
--- a/include/linux/sunrpc/svc.h
+++ b/include/linux/sunrpc/svc.h
@@ -70,6 +70,17 @@ struct svc_serv {
 						 */
 };
 
+/*
+ * We use sv_nrthreads as a reference count.  svc_destroy() drops
+ * this refcount, so we need to bump it up around operations that
+ * change the number of threads.  Horrible, but there it is.
+ * Should be called with the BKL held.
+ */
+static inline void svc_get(struct svc_serv *serv)
+{
+	serv->sv_nrthreads++;
+}
+
 /*
  * Maximum payload size supported by a kernel RPC server.
  * This is use to determine the max number of pages nfsd is