diff --git a/net/mptcp/protocol.c b/net/mptcp/protocol.c
index d8a7f7029164..9b1fafd87cb9 100644
--- a/net/mptcp/protocol.c
+++ b/net/mptcp/protocol.c
@@ -2769,10 +2769,13 @@ static void __mptcp_retrans(struct sock *sk)
 
 			/*
 			 * make the whole retrans decision, xmit, disallow
-			 * fallback atomic
+			 * fallback atomic, note that we can't retrans even
+			 * when an infinite fallback is in progress, i.e. new
+			 * subflows are disallowed.
 			 */
 			spin_lock_bh(&msk->fallback_lock);
-			if (__mptcp_check_fallback(msk)) {
+			if (__mptcp_check_fallback(msk) ||
+			    !msk->allow_subflows) {
 				spin_unlock_bh(&msk->fallback_lock);
 				release_sock(ssk);
 				goto clear_scheduled;