diff --git a/fs/nfs/delegation.c b/fs/nfs/delegation.c
index 00c350c031b4..e75f2f8c5245 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/delegation.c
+++ b/fs/nfs/delegation.c
@@ -43,6 +43,27 @@ static void nfs_free_delegation(struct nfs_delegation *delegation)
 		put_rpccred(cred);
 }
 
+void nfs_mark_delegation_referenced(struct nfs_delegation *delegation)
+{
+	set_bit(NFS_DELEGATION_REFERENCED, &delegation->flags);
+}
+
+int nfs_have_delegation(struct inode *inode, int flags)
+{
+	struct nfs_delegation *delegation;
+	int ret = 0;
+
+	flags &= FMODE_READ|FMODE_WRITE;
+	rcu_read_lock();
+	delegation = rcu_dereference(NFS_I(inode)->delegation);
+	if (delegation != NULL && (delegation->type & flags) == flags) {
+		nfs_mark_delegation_referenced(delegation);
+		ret = 1;
+	}
+	rcu_read_unlock();
+	return ret;
+}
+
 static int nfs_delegation_claim_locks(struct nfs_open_context *ctx, struct nfs4_state *state)
 {
 	struct inode *inode = state->inode;
@@ -188,6 +209,7 @@ int nfs_inode_set_delegation(struct inode *inode, struct rpc_cred *cred, struct
 	delegation->change_attr = nfsi->change_attr;
 	delegation->cred = get_rpccred(cred);
 	delegation->inode = inode;
+	delegation->flags = 1<<NFS_DELEGATION_REFERENCED;
 	spin_lock_init(&delegation->lock);
 
 	spin_lock(&clp->cl_lock);
@@ -382,6 +404,26 @@ void nfs_handle_cb_pathdown(struct nfs_client *clp)
 	nfs_client_mark_return_all_delegations(clp);
 }
 
+static void nfs_client_mark_return_unreferenced_delegations(struct nfs_client *clp)
+{
+	struct nfs_delegation *delegation;
+
+	rcu_read_lock();
+	list_for_each_entry_rcu(delegation, &clp->cl_delegations, super_list) {
+		if (test_and_clear_bit(NFS_DELEGATION_REFERENCED, &delegation->flags))
+			continue;
+		set_bit(NFS_DELEGATION_RETURN, &delegation->flags);
+		set_bit(NFS4CLNT_DELEGRETURN, &clp->cl_state);
+	}
+	rcu_read_unlock();
+}
+
+void nfs_expire_unreferenced_delegations(struct nfs_client *clp)
+{
+	nfs_client_mark_return_unreferenced_delegations(clp);
+	nfs_delegation_run_state_manager(clp);
+}
+
 /*
  * Asynchronous delegation recall!
  */
diff --git a/fs/nfs/delegation.h b/fs/nfs/delegation.h
index 56f3eb558ef4..2a74882e5d50 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/delegation.h
+++ b/fs/nfs/delegation.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ struct nfs_delegation {
 enum {
 	NFS_DELEGATION_NEED_RECLAIM = 0,
 	NFS_DELEGATION_RETURN,
+	NFS_DELEGATION_REFERENCED,
 };
 
 int nfs_inode_set_delegation(struct inode *inode, struct rpc_cred *cred, struct nfs_openres *res);
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@ void nfs_inode_return_delegation_noreclaim(struct inode *inode);
 struct inode *nfs_delegation_find_inode(struct nfs_client *clp, const struct nfs_fh *fhandle);
 void nfs_super_return_all_delegations(struct super_block *sb);
 void nfs_expire_all_delegations(struct nfs_client *clp);
+void nfs_expire_unreferenced_delegations(struct nfs_client *clp);
 void nfs_handle_cb_pathdown(struct nfs_client *clp);
 void nfs_client_return_marked_delegations(struct nfs_client *clp);
 
@@ -51,19 +53,8 @@ int nfs4_open_delegation_recall(struct nfs_open_context *ctx, struct nfs4_state
 int nfs4_lock_delegation_recall(struct nfs4_state *state, struct file_lock *fl);
 int nfs4_copy_delegation_stateid(nfs4_stateid *dst, struct inode *inode);
 
-static inline int nfs_have_delegation(struct inode *inode, int flags)
-{
-	struct nfs_delegation *delegation;
-	int ret = 0;
-
-	flags &= FMODE_READ|FMODE_WRITE;
-	rcu_read_lock();
-	delegation = rcu_dereference(NFS_I(inode)->delegation);
-	if (delegation != NULL && (delegation->type & flags) == flags)
-		ret = 1;
-	rcu_read_unlock();
-	return ret;
-}
+void nfs_mark_delegation_referenced(struct nfs_delegation *delegation);
+int nfs_have_delegation(struct inode *inode, int flags);
 
 #else
 static inline int nfs_have_delegation(struct inode *inode, int flags)
diff --git a/fs/nfs/nfs4proc.c b/fs/nfs/nfs4proc.c
index 2a347d47e38c..fc0c9d255cf7 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/nfs4proc.c
+++ b/fs/nfs/nfs4proc.c
@@ -421,6 +421,7 @@ static int can_open_delegated(struct nfs_delegation *delegation, mode_t open_fla
 		return 0;
 	if (test_bit(NFS_DELEGATION_NEED_RECLAIM, &delegation->flags))
 		return 0;
+	nfs_mark_delegation_referenced(delegation);
 	return 1;
 }
 
@@ -505,6 +506,7 @@ static int update_open_stateid(struct nfs4_state *state, nfs4_stateid *open_stat
 	else if (memcmp(deleg_cur->stateid.data, delegation->data, NFS4_STATEID_SIZE) != 0)
 		goto no_delegation_unlock;
 
+	nfs_mark_delegation_referenced(deleg_cur);
 	__update_open_stateid(state, open_stateid, &deleg_cur->stateid, open_flags);
 	ret = 1;
 no_delegation_unlock:
diff --git a/fs/nfs/nfs4renewd.c b/fs/nfs/nfs4renewd.c
index ca557e677d9e..f524e932ff7b 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/nfs4renewd.c
+++ b/fs/nfs/nfs4renewd.c
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ nfs4_renew_state(struct work_struct *work)
 	cancel_delayed_work(&clp->cl_renewd);
 	schedule_delayed_work(&clp->cl_renewd, timeout);
 	spin_unlock(&clp->cl_lock);
+	nfs_expire_unreferenced_delegations(clp);
 out:
 	dprintk("%s: done\n", __func__);
 }