diff --git a/fs/smb/client/file.c b/fs/smb/client/file.c
index 27b58d907203..1aa4844f8b8a 100644
--- a/fs/smb/client/file.c
+++ b/fs/smb/client/file.c
@@ -1515,11 +1515,18 @@ int cifs_close(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 				trace_smb3_close_cached(tcon->tid, tcon->ses->Suid,
 						cfile->fid.persistent_fid,
 						cifs_sb->ctx->closetimeo);
-				queue_delayed_work(deferredclose_wq,
-						&cfile->deferred, cifs_sb->ctx->closetimeo);
-				cfile->deferred_close_scheduled = true;
-				spin_unlock(&cinode->deferred_lock);
-				return 0;
+				/*
+				 * Each queued execution owns one reference.
+				 * If nothing was queued, the reference of
+				 * the closing file is dropped below.
+				 */
+				if (queue_delayed_work(deferredclose_wq,
+						       &cfile->deferred,
+						       cifs_sb->ctx->closetimeo)) {
+					cfile->deferred_close_scheduled = true;
+					spin_unlock(&cinode->deferred_lock);
+					return 0;
+				}
 			}
 			spin_unlock(&cinode->deferred_lock);
 			_cifsFileInfo_put(cfile, true, false);