diff --git a/net/rds/tcp.c b/net/rds/tcp.c
index b263634ac750..ad14217867a4 100644
--- a/net/rds/tcp.c
+++ b/net/rds/tcp.c
@@ -150,9 +150,22 @@ void rds_tcp_reset_callbacks(struct socket *sock,
 	 * end up deadlocking with tcp_sendmsg(), and the RDS_IN_XMIT
 	 * would not get set. As a result, we set c_state to
 	 * RDS_CONN_RESETTTING, to ensure that rds_tcp_state_change
-	 * cannot mark rds_conn_path_up() in the window before lock_sock()
+	 * cannot mark rds_conn_path_up() in the window before lock_sock().
+	 *
+	 * Only make that transition if the path is still connecting
+	 * (or already resetting from an earlier duel).  A path in any
+	 * other state - typically RDS_CONN_DISCONNECTING or
+	 * RDS_CONN_ERROR with a shutdown in flight - is dropped
+	 * instead.  That still replaces its state, with RDS_CONN_ERROR,
+	 * and queues one more shutdown pass, but rds_conn_shutdown()
+	 * accepts RDS_CONN_ERROR in its final transition to
+	 * RDS_CONN_DOWN, so the shutdown in flight completes normally.
 	 */
-	atomic_set(&cp->cp_state, RDS_CONN_RESETTING);
+	if (!rds_conn_path_transition(cp, RDS_CONN_CONNECTING,
+				      RDS_CONN_RESETTING) &&
+	    !rds_conn_path_transition(cp, RDS_CONN_RESETTING,
+				      RDS_CONN_RESETTING))
+		rds_conn_path_drop(cp, 0);
 	wait_event(cp->cp_waitq, !test_bit(RDS_IN_XMIT, &cp->cp_flags));
 	/* reset receive side state for rds_tcp_data_recv() for osock  */
 	cancel_delayed_work_sync(&cp->cp_send_w);
diff --git a/net/rds/tcp_listen.c b/net/rds/tcp_listen.c
index a3db9b057084..13fa60c1985b 100644
--- a/net/rds/tcp_listen.c
+++ b/net/rds/tcp_listen.c
@@ -295,7 +295,11 @@ int rds_tcp_accept_one(struct rds_tcp_net *rtn)
 	if (rs_tcp->t_sock) {
 		/* Duelling SYN has been handled in rds_tcp_accept_one() */
 		rds_tcp_reset_callbacks(new_sock, cp);
-		/* rds_connect_path_complete() marks RDS_CONN_UP */
+		/* rds_connect_path_complete() marks RDS_CONN_UP, or,
+		 * if a concurrent shutdown won the duel, drops the
+		 * path again and the pass that drop queues reaps the
+		 * socket installed above.
+		 */
 		rds_connect_path_complete(cp, RDS_CONN_RESETTING);
 	} else {
 		rds_tcp_set_callbacks(new_sock, cp);