diff --git a/net/smc/af_smc.c b/net/smc/af_smc.c
index 2c6f4e0a9f3d214e108832d291f51f798f3b38e3..649489f825a5ec9d91802e2b429dc04da95343e8 100644
--- a/net/smc/af_smc.c
+++ b/net/smc/af_smc.c
@@ -1477,6 +1477,7 @@ static void __exit smc_exit(void)
 	spin_unlock_bh(&smc_lgr_list.lock);
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(lgr, lg, &lgr_freeing_list, list) {
 		list_del_init(&lgr->list);
+		cancel_delayed_work_sync(&lgr->free_work);
 		smc_lgr_free(lgr); /* free link group */
 	}
 	static_branch_disable(&tcp_have_smc);
diff --git a/net/smc/smc_core.c b/net/smc/smc_core.c
index f76f60e463cb30609da68f8c82d3c17a7147f2ae..ec6189fe2a4858112dc62498f9325a069decb7f8 100644
--- a/net/smc/smc_core.c
+++ b/net/smc/smc_core.c
@@ -140,7 +140,8 @@ static void smc_lgr_free_work(struct work_struct *work)
 	list_del_init(&lgr->list); /* remove from smc_lgr_list */
 free:
 	spin_unlock_bh(&smc_lgr_list.lock);
-	smc_lgr_free(lgr);
+	if (!delayed_work_pending(&lgr->free_work))
+		smc_lgr_free(lgr);
 }
 
 /* create a new SMC link group */