diff --git a/net/mptcp/subflow.c b/net/mptcp/subflow.c
index 9b5a966b0041c..fefcaf4979388 100644
--- a/net/mptcp/subflow.c
+++ b/net/mptcp/subflow.c
@@ -1339,9 +1339,10 @@ static void subflow_ulp_release(struct sock *ssk)
 	sk = ctx->conn;
 	if (sk) {
 		/* if the msk has been orphaned, keep the ctx
-		 * alive, will be freed by mptcp_done()
+		 * alive, will be freed by __mptcp_close_ssk(),
+		 * when the subflow is still unaccepted
 		 */
-		release = ctx->disposable;
+		release = ctx->disposable || list_empty(&ctx->node);
 		sock_put(sk);
 	}