diff --git a/net/sunrpc/cache.c b/net/sunrpc/cache.c
index 44f45166378a5f1b6be3d7994951882355bf6976..bbd31f1215e79b0d656739a0b296b75d5215d6f2 100644
--- a/net/sunrpc/cache.c
+++ b/net/sunrpc/cache.c
@@ -176,6 +176,22 @@ struct cache_head *sunrpc_cache_update(struct cache_detail *detail,
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(sunrpc_cache_update);
 
 static int cache_make_upcall(struct cache_detail *detail, struct cache_head *h);
+
+static inline int cache_is_valid(struct cache_detail *detail, struct cache_head *h)
+{
+	if (!test_bit(CACHE_VALID, &h->flags) ||
+	    h->expiry_time < get_seconds())
+		return -EAGAIN;
+	else if (detail->flush_time > h->last_refresh)
+		return -EAGAIN;
+	else {
+		/* entry is valid */
+		if (test_bit(CACHE_NEGATIVE, &h->flags))
+			return -ENOENT;
+		else
+			return 0;
+	}
+}
 /*
  * This is the generic cache management routine for all
  * the authentication caches.
@@ -184,8 +200,10 @@ static int cache_make_upcall(struct cache_detail *detail, struct cache_head *h);
  *
  *
  * Returns 0 if the cache_head can be used, or cache_puts it and returns
- * -EAGAIN if upcall is pending,
- * -ETIMEDOUT if upcall failed and should be retried,
+ * -EAGAIN if upcall is pending and request has been queued
+ * -ETIMEDOUT if upcall failed or request could not be queue or
+ *           upcall completed but item is still invalid (implying that
+ *           the cache item has been replaced with a newer one).
  * -ENOENT if cache entry was negative
  */
 int cache_check(struct cache_detail *detail,
@@ -195,17 +213,7 @@ int cache_check(struct cache_detail *detail,
 	long refresh_age, age;
 
 	/* First decide return status as best we can */
-	if (!test_bit(CACHE_VALID, &h->flags) ||
-	    h->expiry_time < get_seconds())
-		rv = -EAGAIN;
-	else if (detail->flush_time > h->last_refresh)
-		rv = -EAGAIN;
-	else {
-		/* entry is valid */
-		if (test_bit(CACHE_NEGATIVE, &h->flags))
-			rv = -ENOENT;
-		else rv = 0;
-	}
+	rv = cache_is_valid(detail, h);
 
 	/* now see if we want to start an upcall */
 	refresh_age = (h->expiry_time - h->last_refresh);
@@ -238,10 +246,14 @@ int cache_check(struct cache_detail *detail,
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (rv == -EAGAIN)
-		if (cache_defer_req(rqstp, h) != 0)
-			rv = -ETIMEDOUT;
-
+	if (rv == -EAGAIN) {
+		if (cache_defer_req(rqstp, h) == 0) {
+			/* Request is not deferred */
+			rv = cache_is_valid(detail, h);
+			if (rv == -EAGAIN)
+				rv = -ETIMEDOUT;
+		}
+	}
 	if (rv)
 		cache_put(h, detail);
 	return rv;
@@ -560,11 +572,11 @@ static int cache_defer_req(struct cache_req *req, struct cache_head *item)
 		 * or continue and drop the oldest below
 		 */
 		if (net_random()&1)
-			return -ETIMEDOUT;
+			return 0;
 	}
 	dreq = req->defer(req);
 	if (dreq == NULL)
-		return -ETIMEDOUT;
+		return 0;
 
 	dreq->item = item;
 
@@ -594,8 +606,9 @@ static int cache_defer_req(struct cache_req *req, struct cache_head *item)
 	if (!test_bit(CACHE_PENDING, &item->flags)) {
 		/* must have just been validated... */
 		cache_revisit_request(item);
+		return 0;
 	}
-	return 0;
+	return 1;
 }
 
 static void cache_revisit_request(struct cache_head *item)