diff --git a/include/net/tcp.h b/include/net/tcp.h
index e2d2ca2509be29abbe81c531aeef0a7207fdc952..e54bd85d9d40fb283b6a6aef3541ca50c4449df1 100644
--- a/include/net/tcp.h
+++ b/include/net/tcp.h
@@ -1265,14 +1265,20 @@ static inline struct sk_buff *tcp_write_queue_prev(struct sock *sk, struct sk_bu
  * TCP connection after "boundary" unsucessful, exponentially backed-off
  * retransmissions with an initial RTO of TCP_RTO_MIN.
  */
-static inline bool retransmits_timed_out(const struct sock *sk,
+static inline bool retransmits_timed_out(struct sock *sk,
 					 unsigned int boundary)
 {
 	unsigned int timeout, linear_backoff_thresh;
+	unsigned int start_ts;
 
 	if (!inet_csk(sk)->icsk_retransmits)
 		return false;
 
+	if (unlikely(!tcp_sk(sk)->retrans_stamp))
+		start_ts = TCP_SKB_CB(tcp_write_queue_head(sk))->when;
+	else
+		start_ts = tcp_sk(sk)->retrans_stamp;
+
 	linear_backoff_thresh = ilog2(TCP_RTO_MAX/TCP_RTO_MIN);
 
 	if (boundary <= linear_backoff_thresh)
@@ -1281,7 +1287,7 @@ static inline bool retransmits_timed_out(const struct sock *sk,
 		timeout = ((2 << linear_backoff_thresh) - 1) * TCP_RTO_MIN +
 			  (boundary - linear_backoff_thresh) * TCP_RTO_MAX;
 
-	return (tcp_time_stamp - tcp_sk(sk)->retrans_stamp) >= timeout;
+	return (tcp_time_stamp - start_ts) >= timeout;
 }
 
 static inline struct sk_buff *tcp_send_head(struct sock *sk)