diff --git a/fs/nfsd/nfscache.c b/fs/nfsd/nfscache.c
index 02e8e9ad5750..e5e4675b7e75 100644
--- a/fs/nfsd/nfscache.c
+++ b/fs/nfsd/nfscache.c
@@ -221,13 +221,6 @@ hash_refile(struct svc_cacherep *rp)
 	hlist_add_head(&rp->c_hash, cache_hash + hash_32(rp->c_xid, maskbits));
 }
 
-static inline bool
-nfsd_cache_entry_expired(struct svc_cacherep *rp)
-{
-	return rp->c_state != RC_INPROG &&
-	       time_after(jiffies, rp->c_timestamp + RC_EXPIRE);
-}
-
 /*
  * Walk the LRU list and prune off entries that are older than RC_EXPIRE.
  * Also prune the oldest ones when the total exceeds the max number of entries.
@@ -238,8 +231,14 @@ prune_cache_entries(void)
 	struct svc_cacherep *rp, *tmp;
 
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(rp, tmp, &lru_head, c_lru) {
-		if (!nfsd_cache_entry_expired(rp) &&
-		    num_drc_entries <= max_drc_entries)
+		/*
+		 * Don't free entries attached to calls that are still
+		 * in-progress, but do keep scanning the list.
+		 */
+		if (rp->c_state == RC_INPROG)
+			continue;
+		if (num_drc_entries <= max_drc_entries &&
+		    time_before(jiffies, rp->c_timestamp + RC_EXPIRE))
 			break;
 		nfsd_reply_cache_free_locked(rp);
 	}