diff --git a/net/tipc/msg.c b/net/tipc/msg.c
index 7bfc4422bf2ca1e1f2d4078d364196a090dc0e48..6ec958401f7802a03610c5384a1c2180255798de 100644
--- a/net/tipc/msg.c
+++ b/net/tipc/msg.c
@@ -348,13 +348,17 @@ bool tipc_msg_reverse(struct sk_buff *buf, u32 *dnode, int err)
 	struct tipc_msg ohdr;
 	uint rdsz = min_t(uint, msg_data_sz(msg), MAX_FORWARD_SIZE);
 
-	if (skb_linearize(buf) || !msg_isdata(msg))
+	if (skb_linearize(buf))
+		goto exit;
+	if (msg_dest_droppable(msg))
 		goto exit;
-	if (msg_dest_droppable(msg) || msg_errcode(msg))
+	if (msg_errcode(msg))
 		goto exit;
 
 	memcpy(&ohdr, msg, msg_hdr_sz(msg));
-	msg_set_importance(msg, min_t(uint, ++imp, TIPC_CRITICAL_IMPORTANCE));
+	imp = min_t(uint, imp + 1, TIPC_CRITICAL_IMPORTANCE);
+	if (msg_isdata(msg))
+		msg_set_importance(msg, imp);
 	msg_set_errcode(msg, err);
 	msg_set_origport(msg, msg_destport(&ohdr));
 	msg_set_destport(msg, msg_origport(&ohdr));
diff --git a/net/tipc/port.c b/net/tipc/port.c
index dcc630948e04e6aa0c86808343af8f94fefe7485..9f53d5ac35e169db2c692b3008314c7987f6ea1d 100644
--- a/net/tipc/port.c
+++ b/net/tipc/port.c
@@ -42,8 +42,6 @@
 
 /* Connection management: */
 #define PROBING_INTERVAL 3600000	/* [ms] => 1 h */
-#define CONFIRMED 0
-#define PROBING 1
 
 #define MAX_REJECT_SIZE 1024
 
@@ -299,11 +297,11 @@ static void port_timeout(unsigned long ref)
 	}
 
 	/* Last probe answered ? */
-	if (p_ptr->probing_state == PROBING) {
+	if (p_ptr->probing_state == TIPC_CONN_PROBING) {
 		buf = port_build_self_abort_msg(p_ptr, TIPC_ERR_NO_PORT);
 	} else {
 		buf = port_build_proto_msg(p_ptr, CONN_PROBE, 0);
-		p_ptr->probing_state = PROBING;
+		p_ptr->probing_state = TIPC_CONN_PROBING;
 		k_start_timer(&p_ptr->timer, p_ptr->probing_interval);
 	}
 	tipc_port_unlock(p_ptr);
@@ -365,51 +363,6 @@ static struct sk_buff *port_build_peer_abort_msg(struct tipc_port *p_ptr, u32 er
 	return buf;
 }
 
-void tipc_port_proto_rcv(struct tipc_port *p_ptr, struct sk_buff *buf)
-{
-	struct tipc_msg *msg = buf_msg(buf);
-	struct sk_buff *r_buf = NULL;
-	u32 destport = msg_destport(msg);
-	int wakeable;
-
-	/* Validate connection */
-	if (!p_ptr || !p_ptr->connected || !tipc_port_peer_msg(p_ptr, msg)) {
-		r_buf = tipc_buf_acquire(BASIC_H_SIZE);
-		if (r_buf) {
-			msg = buf_msg(r_buf);
-			tipc_msg_init(msg, TIPC_HIGH_IMPORTANCE, TIPC_CONN_MSG,
-				      BASIC_H_SIZE, msg_orignode(msg));
-			msg_set_errcode(msg, TIPC_ERR_NO_PORT);
-			msg_set_origport(msg, destport);
-			msg_set_destport(msg, msg_origport(msg));
-		}
-		goto exit;
-	}
-
-	/* Process protocol message sent by peer */
-	switch (msg_type(msg)) {
-	case CONN_ACK:
-		wakeable = tipc_port_congested(p_ptr) && p_ptr->congested;
-		p_ptr->acked += msg_msgcnt(msg);
-		if (!tipc_port_congested(p_ptr)) {
-			p_ptr->congested = 0;
-			if (wakeable)
-				tipc_port_wakeup(p_ptr);
-		}
-		break;
-	case CONN_PROBE:
-		r_buf = port_build_proto_msg(p_ptr, CONN_PROBE_REPLY, 0);
-		break;
-	default:
-		/* CONN_PROBE_REPLY or unrecognized - no action required */
-		break;
-	}
-	p_ptr->probing_state = CONFIRMED;
-exit:
-	tipc_link_xmit2(r_buf, msg_destnode(msg), msg_link_selector(msg));
-	kfree_skb(buf);
-}
-
 static int port_print(struct tipc_port *p_ptr, char *buf, int len, int full_id)
 {
 	struct publication *publ;
@@ -613,7 +566,7 @@ int __tipc_port_connect(u32 ref, struct tipc_port *p_ptr,
 	msg_set_hdr_sz(msg, SHORT_H_SIZE);
 
 	p_ptr->probing_interval = PROBING_INTERVAL;
-	p_ptr->probing_state = CONFIRMED;
+	p_ptr->probing_state = TIPC_CONN_OK;
 	p_ptr->connected = 1;
 	k_start_timer(&p_ptr->timer, p_ptr->probing_interval);
 
diff --git a/net/tipc/port.h b/net/tipc/port.h
index 3f28fd420ff9cc3eef7d36fa9576b4565119bde0..3a4f808135c3041ed1ab7f12f2dcc74d35a7d981 100644
--- a/net/tipc/port.h
+++ b/net/tipc/port.h
@@ -140,7 +140,6 @@ int tipc_port_mcast_xmit(struct tipc_port *port,
 			 unsigned int len);
 
 struct sk_buff *tipc_port_get_ports(void);
-void tipc_port_proto_rcv(struct tipc_port *port, struct sk_buff *buf);
 void tipc_port_mcast_rcv(struct sk_buff *buf, struct tipc_port_list *dp);
 void tipc_port_reinit(void);
 
diff --git a/net/tipc/socket.c b/net/tipc/socket.c
index d838a4b66d3aed2eb2ef503405b4a20cd2809d42..1762323156af262cb9cfdbd10d7c33fe51249288 100644
--- a/net/tipc/socket.c
+++ b/net/tipc/socket.c
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
 #define SS_READY	-2	/* socket is connectionless */
 
 #define CONN_TIMEOUT_DEFAULT	8000	/* default connect timeout = 8s */
+#define TIPC_FWD_MSG	        1
 
 static int tipc_backlog_rcv(struct sock *sk, struct sk_buff *skb);
 static void tipc_data_ready(struct sock *sk);
@@ -533,6 +534,46 @@ static unsigned int tipc_poll(struct file *file, struct socket *sock,
 	return mask;
 }
 
+/**
+ * tipc_sk_proto_rcv - receive a connection mng protocol message
+ * @tsk: receiving socket
+ * @dnode: node to send response message to, if any
+ * @buf: buffer containing protocol message
+ * Returns 0 (TIPC_OK) if message was consumed, 1 (TIPC_FWD_MSG) if
+ * (CONN_PROBE_REPLY) message should be forwarded.
+ */
+int tipc_sk_proto_rcv(struct tipc_sock *tsk, u32 *dnode, struct sk_buff *buf)
+{
+	struct tipc_msg *msg = buf_msg(buf);
+	struct tipc_port *port = &tsk->port;
+	int wakeable;
+
+	/* Ignore if connection cannot be validated: */
+	if (!port->connected || !tipc_port_peer_msg(port, msg))
+		goto exit;
+
+	port->probing_state = TIPC_CONN_OK;
+
+	if (msg_type(msg) == CONN_ACK) {
+		wakeable = tipc_port_congested(port) && port->congested;
+		port->acked += msg_msgcnt(msg);
+		if (!tipc_port_congested(port)) {
+			port->congested = 0;
+			if (wakeable)
+				tipc_port_wakeup(port);
+		}
+	} else if (msg_type(msg) == CONN_PROBE) {
+		if (!tipc_msg_reverse(buf, dnode, TIPC_OK))
+			return TIPC_OK;
+		msg_set_type(msg, CONN_PROBE_REPLY);
+		return TIPC_FWD_MSG;
+	}
+	/* Do nothing if msg_type() == CONN_PROBE_REPLY */
+exit:
+	kfree_skb(buf);
+	return TIPC_OK;
+}
+
 /**
  * dest_name_check - verify user is permitted to send to specified port name
  * @dest: destination address
@@ -1406,7 +1447,7 @@ static unsigned int rcvbuf_limit(struct sock *sk, struct sk_buff *buf)
  * Called with socket lock already taken; port lock may also be taken.
  *
  * Returns 0 (TIPC_OK) if message was consumed, -TIPC error code if message
- * to be rejected.
+ * to be rejected, 1 (TIPC_FWD_MSG) if (CONN_MANAGER) message to be forwarded
  */
 static int filter_rcv(struct sock *sk, struct sk_buff *buf)
 {
@@ -1414,12 +1455,11 @@ static int filter_rcv(struct sock *sk, struct sk_buff *buf)
 	struct tipc_sock *tsk = tipc_sk(sk);
 	struct tipc_msg *msg = buf_msg(buf);
 	unsigned int limit = rcvbuf_limit(sk, buf);
+	u32 onode;
 	int rc = TIPC_OK;
 
-	if (unlikely(msg_user(msg) == CONN_MANAGER)) {
-		tipc_port_proto_rcv(&tsk->port, buf);
-		return TIPC_OK;
-	}
+	if (unlikely(msg_user(msg) == CONN_MANAGER))
+		return tipc_sk_proto_rcv(tsk, &onode, buf);
 
 	/* Reject message if it is wrong sort of message for socket */
 	if (msg_type(msg) > TIPC_DIRECT_MSG)
@@ -1465,10 +1505,16 @@ static int tipc_backlog_rcv(struct sock *sk, struct sk_buff *buf)
 
 	rc = filter_rcv(sk, buf);
 
-	if (unlikely(rc && tipc_msg_reverse(buf, &onode, -rc)))
-		tipc_link_xmit2(buf, onode, 0);
-	else if (atomic_read(&tsk->dupl_rcvcnt) < TIPC_CONN_OVERLOAD_LIMIT)
-		atomic_add(truesize, &tsk->dupl_rcvcnt);
+	if (likely(!rc)) {
+		if (atomic_read(&tsk->dupl_rcvcnt) < TIPC_CONN_OVERLOAD_LIMIT)
+			atomic_add(truesize, &tsk->dupl_rcvcnt);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	if ((rc < 0) && !tipc_msg_reverse(buf, &onode, -rc))
+		return 0;
+
+	tipc_link_xmit2(buf, onode, 0);
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/net/tipc/socket.h b/net/tipc/socket.h
index 3afcd2a70b313c21d67752606b839e613d3cf9df..69fd06bce68a40393bdfddf356a65c48424e8772 100644
--- a/net/tipc/socket.h
+++ b/net/tipc/socket.h
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@
 #include "port.h"
 #include <net/sock.h>
 
+#define TIPC_CONN_OK      0
+#define TIPC_CONN_PROBING 1
+
 /**
  * struct tipc_sock - TIPC socket structure
  * @sk: socket - interacts with 'port' and with user via the socket API