diff --git a/net/sunrpc/xprtrdma/rpc_rdma.c b/net/sunrpc/xprtrdma/rpc_rdma.c
index 77b84cfa5c77..693966d3f33b 100644
--- a/net/sunrpc/xprtrdma/rpc_rdma.c
+++ b/net/sunrpc/xprtrdma/rpc_rdma.c
@@ -77,6 +77,8 @@ static const char transfertypes[][12] = {
  * Prepare the passed-in xdr_buf into representation as RPC/RDMA chunk
  * elements. Segments are then coalesced when registered, if possible
  * within the selected memreg mode.
+ *
+ * Returns positive number of segments converted, or a negative errno.
  */
 
 static int
@@ -103,12 +105,13 @@ rpcrdma_convert_iovs(struct xdr_buf *xdrbuf, unsigned int pos,
 			/* alloc the pagelist for receiving buffer */
 			ppages[p] = alloc_page(GFP_ATOMIC);
 			if (!ppages[p])
-				return 0;
+				return -ENOMEM;
 		}
 		seg[n].mr_page = ppages[p];
 		seg[n].mr_offset = (void *)(unsigned long) page_base;
 		seg[n].mr_len = min_t(u32, PAGE_SIZE - page_base, len);
-		BUG_ON(seg[n].mr_len > PAGE_SIZE);
+		if (seg[n].mr_len > PAGE_SIZE)
+			return -EIO;
 		len -= seg[n].mr_len;
 		++n;
 		++p;
@@ -117,7 +120,7 @@ rpcrdma_convert_iovs(struct xdr_buf *xdrbuf, unsigned int pos,
 
 	/* Message overflows the seg array */
 	if (len && n == nsegs)
-		return 0;
+		return -EIO;
 
 	if (xdrbuf->tail[0].iov_len) {
 		/* the rpcrdma protocol allows us to omit any trailing
@@ -126,7 +129,7 @@ rpcrdma_convert_iovs(struct xdr_buf *xdrbuf, unsigned int pos,
 			return n;
 		if (n == nsegs)
 			/* Tail remains, but we're out of segments */
-			return 0;
+			return -EIO;
 		seg[n].mr_page = NULL;
 		seg[n].mr_offset = xdrbuf->tail[0].iov_base;
 		seg[n].mr_len = xdrbuf->tail[0].iov_len;
@@ -167,15 +170,17 @@ rpcrdma_convert_iovs(struct xdr_buf *xdrbuf, unsigned int pos,
  *  Reply chunk (a counted array):
  *   N elements:
  *    1 - N - HLOO - HLOO - ... - HLOO
+ *
+ * Returns positive RPC/RDMA header size, or negative errno.
  */
 
-static unsigned int
+static ssize_t
 rpcrdma_create_chunks(struct rpc_rqst *rqst, struct xdr_buf *target,
 		struct rpcrdma_msg *headerp, enum rpcrdma_chunktype type)
 {
 	struct rpcrdma_req *req = rpcr_to_rdmar(rqst);
 	struct rpcrdma_xprt *r_xprt = rpcx_to_rdmax(rqst->rq_xprt);
-	int nsegs, nchunks = 0;
+	int n, nsegs, nchunks = 0;
 	unsigned int pos;
 	struct rpcrdma_mr_seg *seg = req->rl_segments;
 	struct rpcrdma_read_chunk *cur_rchunk = NULL;
@@ -201,11 +206,11 @@ rpcrdma_create_chunks(struct rpc_rqst *rqst, struct xdr_buf *target,
 		pos = target->head[0].iov_len;
 
 	nsegs = rpcrdma_convert_iovs(target, pos, type, seg, RPCRDMA_MAX_SEGS);
-	if (nsegs == 0)
-		return 0;
+	if (nsegs < 0)
+		return nsegs;
 
 	do {
-		int n = rpcrdma_register_external(seg, nsegs,
+		n = rpcrdma_register_external(seg, nsegs,
 						cur_wchunk != NULL, r_xprt);
 		if (n <= 0)
 			goto out;
@@ -277,7 +282,7 @@ out:
 	for (pos = 0; nchunks--;)
 		pos += rpcrdma_deregister_external(
 				&req->rl_segments[pos], r_xprt);
-	return 0;
+	return n;
 }
 
 /*
@@ -359,6 +364,8 @@ rpcrdma_inline_pullup(struct rpc_rqst *rqst, int pad)
  *  [1] -- the RPC header/data, marshaled by RPC and the NFS protocol.
  *  [2] -- optional padding.
  *  [3] -- if padded, header only in [1] and data here.
+ *
+ * Returns zero on success, otherwise a negative errno.
  */
 
 int
@@ -368,7 +375,8 @@ rpcrdma_marshal_req(struct rpc_rqst *rqst)
 	struct rpcrdma_xprt *r_xprt = rpcx_to_rdmax(xprt);
 	struct rpcrdma_req *req = rpcr_to_rdmar(rqst);
 	char *base;
-	size_t hdrlen, rpclen, padlen;
+	size_t rpclen, padlen;
+	ssize_t hdrlen;
 	enum rpcrdma_chunktype rtype, wtype;
 	struct rpcrdma_msg *headerp;
 
@@ -439,7 +447,11 @@ rpcrdma_marshal_req(struct rpc_rqst *rqst)
 	/* The following simplification is not true forever */
 	if (rtype != rpcrdma_noch && wtype == rpcrdma_replych)
 		wtype = rpcrdma_noch;
-	BUG_ON(rtype != rpcrdma_noch && wtype != rpcrdma_noch);
+	if (rtype != rpcrdma_noch && wtype != rpcrdma_noch) {
+		dprintk("RPC:       %s: cannot marshal multiple chunk lists\n",
+			__func__);
+		return -EIO;
+	}
 
 	hdrlen = 28; /*sizeof *headerp;*/
 	padlen = 0;
@@ -464,8 +476,11 @@ rpcrdma_marshal_req(struct rpc_rqst *rqst)
 			headerp->rm_body.rm_padded.rm_pempty[1] = xdr_zero;
 			headerp->rm_body.rm_padded.rm_pempty[2] = xdr_zero;
 			hdrlen += 2 * sizeof(u32); /* extra words in padhdr */
-			BUG_ON(wtype != rpcrdma_noch);
-
+			if (wtype != rpcrdma_noch) {
+				dprintk("RPC:       %s: invalid chunk list\n",
+					__func__);
+				return -EIO;
+			}
 		} else {
 			headerp->rm_body.rm_nochunks.rm_empty[0] = xdr_zero;
 			headerp->rm_body.rm_nochunks.rm_empty[1] = xdr_zero;
@@ -500,9 +515,8 @@ rpcrdma_marshal_req(struct rpc_rqst *rqst)
 		hdrlen = rpcrdma_create_chunks(rqst,
 					&rqst->rq_rcv_buf, headerp, wtype);
 	}
-
-	if (hdrlen == 0)
-		return -1;
+	if (hdrlen < 0)
+		return hdrlen;
 
 	dprintk("RPC:       %s: %s: hdrlen %zd rpclen %zd padlen %zd"
 		" headerp 0x%p base 0x%p lkey 0x%x\n",
diff --git a/net/sunrpc/xprtrdma/transport.c b/net/sunrpc/xprtrdma/transport.c
index 93fe7753ff94..66f91f0d071a 100644
--- a/net/sunrpc/xprtrdma/transport.c
+++ b/net/sunrpc/xprtrdma/transport.c
@@ -595,13 +595,12 @@ xprt_rdma_send_request(struct rpc_task *task)
 	struct rpc_xprt *xprt = rqst->rq_xprt;
 	struct rpcrdma_req *req = rpcr_to_rdmar(rqst);
 	struct rpcrdma_xprt *r_xprt = rpcx_to_rdmax(xprt);
+	int rc;
 
-	/* marshal the send itself */
-	if (req->rl_niovs == 0 && rpcrdma_marshal_req(rqst) != 0) {
-		r_xprt->rx_stats.failed_marshal_count++;
-		dprintk("RPC:       %s: rpcrdma_marshal_req failed\n",
-			__func__);
-		return -EIO;
+	if (req->rl_niovs == 0) {
+		rc = rpcrdma_marshal_req(rqst);
+		if (rc < 0)
+			goto failed_marshal;
 	}
 
 	if (req->rl_reply == NULL) 		/* e.g. reconnection */
@@ -625,6 +624,12 @@ xprt_rdma_send_request(struct rpc_task *task)
 	rqst->rq_bytes_sent = 0;
 	return 0;
 
+failed_marshal:
+	r_xprt->rx_stats.failed_marshal_count++;
+	dprintk("RPC:       %s: rpcrdma_marshal_req failed, status %i\n",
+		__func__, rc);
+	if (rc == -EIO)
+		return -EIO;
 drop_connection:
 	xprt_disconnect_done(xprt);
 	return -ENOTCONN;	/* implies disconnect */