diff --git a/fs/nfs/callback.c b/fs/nfs/callback.c
index 51297b2..18efeb5 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/callback.c
+++ b/fs/nfs/callback.c
@@ -217,12 +217,50 @@
 }
 #endif /* CONFIG_NFS_V4_1 */
 
+static struct svc_serv *nfs_callback_create_svc(int minorversion)
+{
+	struct nfs_callback_data *cb_info = &nfs_callback_info[minorversion];
+	struct svc_serv *serv;
+
+	/*
+	 * Check whether we're already up and running.
+	 */
+	if (cb_info->task) {
+		/*
+		 * Note: increase service usage, because later in case of error
+		 * svc_destroy() will be called.
+		 */
+		svc_get(cb_info->serv);
+		return cb_info->serv;
+	}
+
+	/*
+	 * Sanity check: if there's no task,
+	 * we should be the first user ...
+	 */
+	if (cb_info->users)
+		printk(KERN_WARNING "nfs_callback_create_svc: no kthread, %d users??\n",
+			cb_info->users);
+
+	serv = svc_create(&nfs4_callback_program, NFS4_CALLBACK_BUFSIZE, NULL);
+	if (!serv) {
+		printk(KERN_ERR "nfs_callback_create_svc: create service failed\n");
+		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
+	}
+	/* As there is only one thread we need to over-ride the
+	 * default maximum of 80 connections
+	 */
+	serv->sv_maxconn = 1024;
+	dprintk("nfs_callback_create_svc: service created\n");
+	return serv;
+}
+
 /*
  * Bring up the callback thread if it is not already up.
  */
 int nfs_callback_up(u32 minorversion, struct rpc_xprt *xprt)
 {
-	struct svc_serv *serv = NULL;
+	struct svc_serv *serv;
 	struct svc_rqst *rqstp;
 	int (*callback_svc)(void *vrqstp);
 	struct nfs_callback_data *cb_info = &nfs_callback_info[minorversion];
@@ -232,19 +270,17 @@
 	struct net *net = &init_net;
 
 	mutex_lock(&nfs_callback_mutex);
+
+	serv = nfs_callback_create_svc(minorversion);
+	if (IS_ERR(serv)) {
+		ret = PTR_ERR(serv);
+		goto err_create;
+	}
+
 	if (cb_info->users++ || cb_info->task != NULL) {
 		nfs_callback_bc_serv(minorversion, xprt, cb_info);
 		goto out;
 	}
-	serv = svc_create(&nfs4_callback_program, NFS4_CALLBACK_BUFSIZE, NULL);
-	if (!serv) {
-		ret = -ENOMEM;
-		goto out_err;
-	}
-	/* As there is only one thread we need to over-ride the
-	 * default maximum of 80 connections
-	 */
-	serv->sv_maxconn = 1024;
 
 	ret = svc_bind(serv, net);
 	if (ret < 0) {
@@ -285,16 +321,15 @@
 	 * on both success and failure so that the refcount is 1 when the
 	 * thread exits.
 	 */
-	if (serv)
-		svc_destroy(serv);
+	svc_destroy(serv);
+err_create:
 	mutex_unlock(&nfs_callback_mutex);
 	return ret;
 out_err:
 	dprintk("NFS: Couldn't create callback socket or server thread; "
 		"err = %d\n", ret);
 	cb_info->users--;
-	if (serv)
-		svc_shutdown_net(serv, net);
+	svc_shutdown_net(serv, net);
 	goto out;
 }