diff --git a/drivers/block/drbd/drbd_nl.c b/drivers/block/drbd/drbd_nl.c
index 1b35c45c92b7..3f2e16738080 100644
--- a/drivers/block/drbd/drbd_nl.c
+++ b/drivers/block/drbd/drbd_nl.c
@@ -544,6 +544,12 @@ void conn_try_outdate_peer_async(struct drbd_connection *connection)
 	struct task_struct *opa;
 
 	kref_get(&connection->kref);
+	/* We may just have force_sig()'ed this thread
+	 * to get it out of some blocking network function.
+	 * Clear signals; otherwise kthread_run(), which internally uses
+	 * wait_on_completion_killable(), will mistake our pending signal
+	 * for a new fatal signal and fail. */
+	flush_signals(current);
 	opa = kthread_run(_try_outdate_peer_async, connection, "drbd_async_h");
 	if (IS_ERR(opa)) {
 		drbd_err(connection, "out of mem, failed to invoke fence-peer helper\n");