diff --git a/fs/cifs/cifsglob.h b/fs/cifs/cifsglob.h
index c0a027ec63c8..20350a93ed99 100644
--- a/fs/cifs/cifsglob.h
+++ b/fs/cifs/cifsglob.h
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 
 #define CIFS_MIN_RCV_POOL 4
 
+#define MAX_REOPEN_ATT	5 /* these many maximum attempts to reopen a file */
 /*
  * default attribute cache timeout (jiffies)
  */
diff --git a/fs/cifs/file.c b/fs/cifs/file.c
index ed9b5a8fb51f..253170dfa716 100644
--- a/fs/cifs/file.c
+++ b/fs/cifs/file.c
@@ -1565,10 +1565,11 @@ struct cifsFileInfo *find_readable_file(struct cifsInodeInfo *cifs_inode,
 struct cifsFileInfo *find_writable_file(struct cifsInodeInfo *cifs_inode,
 					bool fsuid_only)
 {
-	struct cifsFileInfo *open_file;
+	struct cifsFileInfo *open_file, *inv_file = NULL;
 	struct cifs_sb_info *cifs_sb;
 	bool any_available = false;
 	int rc;
+	unsigned int refind = 0;
 
 	/* Having a null inode here (because mapping->host was set to zero by
 	the VFS or MM) should not happen but we had reports of on oops (due to
@@ -1588,40 +1589,25 @@ struct cifsFileInfo *find_writable_file(struct cifsInodeInfo *cifs_inode,
 
 	spin_lock(&cifs_file_list_lock);
 refind_writable:
+	if (refind > MAX_REOPEN_ATT) {
+		spin_unlock(&cifs_file_list_lock);
+		return NULL;
+	}
 	list_for_each_entry(open_file, &cifs_inode->openFileList, flist) {
 		if (!any_available && open_file->pid != current->tgid)
 			continue;
 		if (fsuid_only && open_file->uid != current_fsuid())
 			continue;
 		if (OPEN_FMODE(open_file->f_flags) & FMODE_WRITE) {
-			cifsFileInfo_get(open_file);
-
 			if (!open_file->invalidHandle) {
 				/* found a good writable file */
+				cifsFileInfo_get(open_file);
 				spin_unlock(&cifs_file_list_lock);
 				return open_file;
+			} else {
+				if (!inv_file)
+					inv_file = open_file;
 			}
-
-			spin_unlock(&cifs_file_list_lock);
-
-			/* Had to unlock since following call can block */
-			rc = cifs_reopen_file(open_file, false);
-			if (!rc)
-				return open_file;
-
-			/* if it fails, try another handle if possible */
-			cFYI(1, "wp failed on reopen file");
-			cifsFileInfo_put(open_file);
-
-			spin_lock(&cifs_file_list_lock);
-
-			/* else we simply continue to the next entry. Thus
-			   we do not loop on reopen errors.  If we
-			   can not reopen the file, for example if we
-			   reconnected to a server with another client
-			   racing to delete or lock the file we would not
-			   make progress if we restarted before the beginning
-			   of the loop here. */
 		}
 	}
 	/* couldn't find useable FH with same pid, try any available */
@@ -1629,7 +1615,30 @@ refind_writable:
 		any_available = true;
 		goto refind_writable;
 	}
+
+	if (inv_file) {
+		any_available = false;
+		cifsFileInfo_get(inv_file);
+	}
+
 	spin_unlock(&cifs_file_list_lock);
+
+	if (inv_file) {
+		rc = cifs_reopen_file(inv_file, false);
+		if (!rc)
+			return inv_file;
+		else {
+			spin_lock(&cifs_file_list_lock);
+			list_move_tail(&inv_file->flist,
+					&cifs_inode->openFileList);
+			spin_unlock(&cifs_file_list_lock);
+			cifsFileInfo_put(inv_file);
+			spin_lock(&cifs_file_list_lock);
+			++refind;
+			goto refind_writable;
+		}
+	}
+
 	return NULL;
 }