diff --git a/fs/nfsd/nfs4state.c b/fs/nfsd/nfs4state.c
index d8faccc5547988..eb920f855969f7 100644
--- a/fs/nfsd/nfs4state.c
+++ b/fs/nfsd/nfs4state.c
@@ -246,6 +246,7 @@ find_blocked_lock(struct nfs4_lockowner *lo, struct knfsd_fh *fh,
 	list_for_each_entry(cur, &lo->lo_blocked, nbl_list) {
 		if (fh_match(fh, &cur->nbl_fh)) {
 			list_del_init(&cur->nbl_list);
+			WARN_ON(list_empty(&cur->nbl_lru));
 			list_del_init(&cur->nbl_lru);
 			found = cur;
 			break;
@@ -271,6 +272,7 @@ find_or_allocate_block(struct nfs4_lockowner *lo, struct knfsd_fh *fh,
 			INIT_LIST_HEAD(&nbl->nbl_lru);
 			fh_copy_shallow(&nbl->nbl_fh, fh);
 			locks_init_lock(&nbl->nbl_lock);
+			kref_init(&nbl->nbl_kref);
 			nfsd4_init_cb(&nbl->nbl_cb, lo->lo_owner.so_client,
 					&nfsd4_cb_notify_lock_ops,
 					NFSPROC4_CLNT_CB_NOTIFY_LOCK);
@@ -279,12 +281,21 @@ find_or_allocate_block(struct nfs4_lockowner *lo, struct knfsd_fh *fh,
 	return nbl;
 }
 
+static void
+free_nbl(struct kref *kref)
+{
+	struct nfsd4_blocked_lock *nbl;
+
+	nbl = container_of(kref, struct nfsd4_blocked_lock, nbl_kref);
+	kfree(nbl);
+}
+
 static void
 free_blocked_lock(struct nfsd4_blocked_lock *nbl)
 {
 	locks_delete_block(&nbl->nbl_lock);
 	locks_release_private(&nbl->nbl_lock);
-	kfree(nbl);
+	kref_put(&nbl->nbl_kref, free_nbl);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -302,6 +313,7 @@ remove_blocked_locks(struct nfs4_lockowner *lo)
 					struct nfsd4_blocked_lock,
 					nbl_list);
 		list_del_init(&nbl->nbl_list);
+		WARN_ON(list_empty(&nbl->nbl_lru));
 		list_move(&nbl->nbl_lru, &reaplist);
 	}
 	spin_unlock(&nn->blocked_locks_lock);
@@ -6987,6 +6999,7 @@ nfsd4_lock(struct svc_rqst *rqstp, struct nfsd4_compound_state *cstate,
 		spin_lock(&nn->blocked_locks_lock);
 		list_add_tail(&nbl->nbl_list, &lock_sop->lo_blocked);
 		list_add_tail(&nbl->nbl_lru, &nn->blocked_locks_lru);
+		kref_get(&nbl->nbl_kref);
 		spin_unlock(&nn->blocked_locks_lock);
 	}
 
@@ -6999,6 +7012,7 @@ nfsd4_lock(struct svc_rqst *rqstp, struct nfsd4_compound_state *cstate,
 			nn->somebody_reclaimed = true;
 		break;
 	case FILE_LOCK_DEFERRED:
+		kref_put(&nbl->nbl_kref, free_nbl);
 		nbl = NULL;
 		fallthrough;
 	case -EAGAIN:		/* conflock holds conflicting lock */
@@ -7019,8 +7033,13 @@ nfsd4_lock(struct svc_rqst *rqstp, struct nfsd4_compound_state *cstate,
 		/* dequeue it if we queued it before */
 		if (fl_flags & FL_SLEEP) {
 			spin_lock(&nn->blocked_locks_lock);
-			list_del_init(&nbl->nbl_list);
-			list_del_init(&nbl->nbl_lru);
+			if (!list_empty(&nbl->nbl_list) &&
+			    !list_empty(&nbl->nbl_lru)) {
+				list_del_init(&nbl->nbl_list);
+				list_del_init(&nbl->nbl_lru);
+				kref_put(&nbl->nbl_kref, free_nbl);
+			}
+			/* nbl can use one of lists to be linked to reaplist */
 			spin_unlock(&nn->blocked_locks_lock);
 		}
 		free_blocked_lock(nbl);
diff --git a/fs/nfsd/state.h b/fs/nfsd/state.h
index 6eb3c7157214b7..95457cfd37fc0e 100644
--- a/fs/nfsd/state.h
+++ b/fs/nfsd/state.h
@@ -633,6 +633,7 @@ struct nfsd4_blocked_lock {
 	struct file_lock	nbl_lock;
 	struct knfsd_fh		nbl_fh;
 	struct nfsd4_callback	nbl_cb;
+	struct kref		nbl_kref;
 };
 
 struct nfsd4_compound_state;