diff --git a/fs/nfsd/nfs4xdr.c b/fs/nfsd/nfs4xdr.c
index 5207068cde1a8c550f618d332d1dba5a99eb1d86..1515c5b8096fb85c3b7b94a8f673a4ed4d5e58c3 100644
--- a/fs/nfsd/nfs4xdr.c
+++ b/fs/nfsd/nfs4xdr.c
@@ -1210,10 +1210,10 @@ nfsd4_decode_compound(struct nfsd4_compoundargs *argp)
 	save = resp->p;
 
 /*
- * Routine for encoding the result of a
- * "seqid-mutating" NFSv4 operation.  This is
- * where seqids are incremented, and the
- * replay cache is filled.
+ * Routine for encoding the result of a "seqid-mutating" NFSv4 operation.  This
+ * is where sequence id's are incremented, and the replay cache is filled.
+ * Note that we increment sequence id's here, at the last moment, so we're sure
+ * we know whether the error to be returned is a sequence id mutating error.
  */
 
 #define ENCODE_SEQID_OP_TAIL(stateowner) do {			\
diff --git a/include/linux/nfsd/state.h b/include/linux/nfsd/state.h
index a84a3fa99be1b03a3102677ea31a28240389d419..2d19431f47eadeaf506ed92d673b4641d1aeb3bb 100644
--- a/include/linux/nfsd/state.h
+++ b/include/linux/nfsd/state.h
@@ -203,7 +203,9 @@ struct nfs4_stateowner {
 	int			so_is_open_owner; /* 1=openowner,0=lockowner */
 	u32                     so_id;
 	struct nfs4_client *    so_client;
-	u32                     so_seqid;    
+	/* after increment in ENCODE_SEQID_OP_TAIL, represents the next
+	 * sequence id expected from the client: */
+	u32                     so_seqid;
 	struct xdr_netobj       so_owner;     /* open owner name */
 	int                     so_confirmed; /* successful OPEN_CONFIRM? */
 	struct nfs4_replay	so_replay;