diff --git a/fs/nfs/nfs4super.c b/fs/nfs/nfs4super.c
index 569b166cc050..a5e1a3026d48 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/nfs4super.c
+++ b/fs/nfs/nfs4super.c
@@ -252,6 +252,8 @@ struct dentry *nfs4_try_mount(int flags, const char *dev_name,
 
 	dfprintk(MOUNT, "--> nfs4_try_mount()\n");
 
+	if (data->auth_flavors[0] == RPC_AUTH_MAXFLAVOR)
+		data->auth_flavors[0] = RPC_AUTH_UNIX;
 	export_path = data->nfs_server.export_path;
 	data->nfs_server.export_path = "/";
 	root_mnt = nfs_do_root_mount(&nfs4_remote_fs_type, flags, mount_info,
diff --git a/fs/nfs/super.c b/fs/nfs/super.c
index 17b32b722457..3bb8318f6d0c 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/super.c
+++ b/fs/nfs/super.c
@@ -917,7 +917,7 @@ static struct nfs_parsed_mount_data *nfs_alloc_parsed_mount_data(void)
 		data->mount_server.port	= NFS_UNSPEC_PORT;
 		data->nfs_server.port	= NFS_UNSPEC_PORT;
 		data->nfs_server.protocol = XPRT_TRANSPORT_TCP;
-		data->auth_flavors[0]	= RPC_AUTH_UNIX;
+		data->auth_flavors[0]	= RPC_AUTH_MAXFLAVOR;
 		data->auth_flavor_len	= 1;
 		data->minorversion	= 0;
 		data->need_mount	= true;
@@ -1605,49 +1605,57 @@ out_security_failure:
 }
 
 /*
- * Match the requested auth flavors with the list returned by
- * the server.  Returns zero and sets the mount's authentication
- * flavor on success; returns -EACCES if server does not support
- * the requested flavor.
+ * Select a security flavor for this mount.  The selected flavor
+ * is planted in args->auth_flavors[0].
  */
-static int nfs_walk_authlist(struct nfs_parsed_mount_data *args,
-			     struct nfs_mount_request *request)
+static void nfs_select_flavor(struct nfs_parsed_mount_data *args,
+			      struct nfs_mount_request *request)
 {
-	unsigned int i, j, server_authlist_len = *(request->auth_flav_len);
+	unsigned int i, count = *(request->auth_flav_len);
+	rpc_authflavor_t flavor;
+
+	if (args->auth_flavors[0] != RPC_AUTH_MAXFLAVOR)
+		goto out;
+
+	/*
+	 * The NFSv2 MNT operation does not return a flavor list.
+	 */
+	if (args->mount_server.version != NFS_MNT3_VERSION)
+		goto out_default;
 
 	/*
 	 * Certain releases of Linux's mountd return an empty
-	 * flavor list.  To prevent behavioral regression with
-	 * these servers (ie. rejecting mounts that used to
-	 * succeed), revert to pre-2.6.32 behavior (no checking)
-	 * if the returned flavor list is empty.
+	 * flavor list in some cases.
 	 */
-	if (server_authlist_len == 0)
-		return 0;
+	if (count == 0)
+		goto out_default;
 
 	/*
-	 * We avoid sophisticated negotiating here, as there are
-	 * plenty of cases where we can get it wrong, providing
-	 * either too little or too much security.
-	 *
 	 * RFC 2623, section 2.7 suggests we SHOULD prefer the
 	 * flavor listed first.  However, some servers list
-	 * AUTH_NULL first.  Our caller plants AUTH_SYS, the
-	 * preferred default, in args->auth_flavors[0] if user
-	 * didn't specify sec= mount option.
+	 * AUTH_NULL first.  Avoid ever choosing AUTH_NULL.
 	 */
-	for (i = 0; i < args->auth_flavor_len; i++)
-		for (j = 0; j < server_authlist_len; j++)
-			if (args->auth_flavors[i] == request->auth_flavs[j]) {
-				dfprintk(MOUNT, "NFS: using auth flavor %d\n",
-					request->auth_flavs[j]);
-				args->auth_flavors[0] = request->auth_flavs[j];
-				return 0;
-			}
+	for (i = 0; i < count; i++) {
+		struct rpcsec_gss_info info;
 
-	dfprintk(MOUNT, "NFS: server does not support requested auth flavor\n");
-	nfs_umount(request);
-	return -EACCES;
+		flavor = request->auth_flavs[i];
+		switch (flavor) {
+		case RPC_AUTH_UNIX:
+			goto out_set;
+		case RPC_AUTH_NULL:
+			continue;
+		default:
+			if (rpcauth_get_gssinfo(flavor, &info) == 0)
+				goto out_set;
+		}
+	}
+
+out_default:
+	flavor = RPC_AUTH_UNIX;
+out_set:
+	args->auth_flavors[0] = flavor;
+out:
+	dfprintk(MOUNT, "NFS: using auth flavor %d\n", args->auth_flavors[0]);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -1710,12 +1718,8 @@ static int nfs_request_mount(struct nfs_parsed_mount_data *args,
 		return status;
 	}
 
-	/*
-	 * MNTv1 (NFSv2) does not support auth flavor negotiation.
-	 */
-	if (args->mount_server.version != NFS_MNT3_VERSION)
-		return 0;
-	return nfs_walk_authlist(args, &request);
+	nfs_select_flavor(args, &request);
+	return 0;
 }
 
 struct dentry *nfs_try_mount(int flags, const char *dev_name,