diff --git a/net/sunrpc/auth_gss/auth_gss.c b/net/sunrpc/auth_gss/auth_gss.c
index 6c0513a7f99232280f78067d56c5c369cb79630d..44a61e8fda6f13018563228001fa09830d939605 100644
--- a/net/sunrpc/auth_gss/auth_gss.c
+++ b/net/sunrpc/auth_gss/auth_gss.c
@@ -991,6 +991,8 @@ gss_create_new(struct rpc_auth_create_args *args, struct rpc_clnt *clnt)
 	gss_auth->service = gss_pseudoflavor_to_service(gss_auth->mech, flavor);
 	if (gss_auth->service == 0)
 		goto err_put_mech;
+	if (!gssd_running(gss_auth->net))
+		goto err_put_mech;
 	auth = &gss_auth->rpc_auth;
 	auth->au_cslack = GSS_CRED_SLACK >> 2;
 	auth->au_rslack = GSS_VERF_SLACK >> 2;