diff --git a/net/rds/connection.c b/net/rds/connection.c
index be3eecdebcc4..9e07c756d1f9 100644
--- a/net/rds/connection.c
+++ b/net/rds/connection.c
@@ -178,12 +178,6 @@ static struct rds_connection *__rds_conn_create(__be32 laddr, __be32 faddr,
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (trans == NULL) {
-		kmem_cache_free(rds_conn_slab, conn);
-		conn = ERR_PTR(-ENODEV);
-		goto out;
-	}
-
 	conn->c_trans = trans;
 
 	ret = trans->conn_alloc(conn, gfp);
diff --git a/net/rds/send.c b/net/rds/send.c
index 88eace57dd6b..31c9fa464b11 100644
--- a/net/rds/send.c
+++ b/net/rds/send.c
@@ -955,11 +955,13 @@ int rds_sendmsg(struct kiocb *iocb, struct socket *sock, struct msghdr *msg,
 		release_sock(sk);
 	}
 
-	/* racing with another thread binding seems ok here */
+	lock_sock(sk);
 	if (daddr == 0 || rs->rs_bound_addr == 0) {
+		release_sock(sk);
 		ret = -ENOTCONN; /* XXX not a great errno */
 		goto out;
 	}
+	release_sock(sk);
 
 	/* size of rm including all sgs */
 	ret = rds_rm_size(msg, payload_len);