diff --git a/fs/nfs/delegation.c b/fs/nfs/delegation.c
index d8b47624fee2..a5cb44375100 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/delegation.c
+++ b/fs/nfs/delegation.c
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #include <linux/nfs_xdr.h>
 
 #include "nfs4_fs.h"
+#include "nfs4session.h"
 #include "delegation.h"
 #include "internal.h"
 #include "nfs4trace.h"
@@ -547,6 +548,22 @@ int nfs4_inode_return_delegation(struct inode *inode)
 	return err;
 }
 
+/**
+ * nfs4_inode_make_writeable
+ * @inode: pointer to inode
+ *
+ * Make the inode writeable by returning the delegation if necessary
+ *
+ * Returns zero on success, or a negative errno value.
+ */
+int nfs4_inode_make_writeable(struct inode *inode)
+{
+	if (!nfs4_has_session(NFS_SERVER(inode)->nfs_client) ||
+	    !nfs4_check_delegation(inode, FMODE_WRITE))
+		return nfs4_inode_return_delegation(inode);
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static void nfs_mark_return_if_closed_delegation(struct nfs_server *server,
 		struct nfs_delegation *delegation)
 {
diff --git a/fs/nfs/delegation.h b/fs/nfs/delegation.h
index 185a09f37a89..dcc8a783a6e1 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/delegation.h
+++ b/fs/nfs/delegation.h
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ int nfs4_check_delegation(struct inode *inode, fmode_t flags);
 bool nfs4_delegation_flush_on_close(const struct inode *inode);
 void nfs_inode_find_delegation_state_and_recover(struct inode *inode,
 		const nfs4_stateid *stateid);
+int nfs4_inode_make_writeable(struct inode *inode);
 
 #endif
 
diff --git a/fs/nfs/nfs4proc.c b/fs/nfs/nfs4proc.c
index 04978bfd6beb..24b5c80b8128 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/nfs4proc.c
+++ b/fs/nfs/nfs4proc.c
@@ -3877,7 +3877,7 @@ nfs4_proc_setattr(struct dentry *dentry, struct nfs_fattr *fattr,
 
 	/* Return any delegations if we're going to change ACLs */
 	if ((sattr->ia_valid & (ATTR_MODE|ATTR_UID|ATTR_GID)) != 0)
-		nfs4_inode_return_delegation(inode);
+		nfs4_inode_make_writeable(inode);
 
 	status = nfs4_do_setattr(inode, cred, fattr, sattr, ctx, NULL, label);
 	if (status == 0) {
@@ -4210,8 +4210,12 @@ static int nfs4_proc_remove(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry)
 	struct inode *inode = d_inode(dentry);
 	int err;
 
-	if (inode)
-		nfs4_inode_return_delegation(inode);
+	if (inode) {
+		if (inode->i_nlink == 1)
+			nfs4_inode_return_delegation(inode);
+		else
+			nfs4_inode_make_writeable(inode);
+	}
 	do {
 		err = _nfs4_proc_remove(dir, &dentry->d_name);
 		trace_nfs4_remove(dir, &dentry->d_name, err);
@@ -4284,7 +4288,7 @@ static void nfs4_proc_rename_setup(struct rpc_message *msg,
 	struct inode *new_inode = d_inode(new_dentry);
 
 	if (old_inode)
-		nfs4_inode_return_delegation(old_inode);
+		nfs4_inode_make_writeable(old_inode);
 	if (new_inode)
 		nfs4_inode_return_delegation(new_inode);
 	msg->rpc_proc = &nfs4_procedures[NFSPROC4_CLNT_RENAME];
@@ -4350,7 +4354,7 @@ static int _nfs4_proc_link(struct inode *inode, struct inode *dir, const struct
 	}
 	arg.bitmask = nfs4_bitmask(server, res.label);
 
-	nfs4_inode_return_delegation(inode);
+	nfs4_inode_make_writeable(inode);
 
 	status = nfs4_call_sync(server->client, server, &msg, &arg.seq_args, &res.seq_res, 1);
 	if (!status) {
@@ -5345,7 +5349,7 @@ static int __nfs4_proc_set_acl(struct inode *inode, const void *buf, size_t bufl
 	i = buf_to_pages_noslab(buf, buflen, arg.acl_pages);
 	if (i < 0)
 		return i;
-	nfs4_inode_return_delegation(inode);
+	nfs4_inode_make_writeable(inode);
 	ret = nfs4_call_sync(server->client, server, &msg, &arg.seq_args, &res.seq_res, 1);
 
 	/*