diff --git a/include/linux/sunrpc/cache.h b/include/linux/sunrpc/cache.h
index ece432b7f87f..52a7d7224e90 100644
--- a/include/linux/sunrpc/cache.h
+++ b/include/linux/sunrpc/cache.h
@@ -125,6 +125,9 @@ struct cache_detail {
  */
 struct cache_req {
 	struct cache_deferred_req *(*defer)(struct cache_req *req);
+	int thread_wait;  /* How long (jiffies) we can block the
+			   * current thread to wait for updates.
+			   */
 };
 /* this must be embedded in a deferred_request that is being
  * delayed awaiting cache-fill
diff --git a/net/sunrpc/cache.c b/net/sunrpc/cache.c
index 8dc121955fdc..2c5297f245b4 100644
--- a/net/sunrpc/cache.c
+++ b/net/sunrpc/cache.c
@@ -509,10 +509,22 @@ static LIST_HEAD(cache_defer_list);
 static struct list_head cache_defer_hash[DFR_HASHSIZE];
 static int cache_defer_cnt;
 
+struct thread_deferred_req {
+	struct cache_deferred_req handle;
+	struct completion completion;
+};
+static void cache_restart_thread(struct cache_deferred_req *dreq, int too_many)
+{
+	struct thread_deferred_req *dr =
+		container_of(dreq, struct thread_deferred_req, handle);
+	complete(&dr->completion);
+}
+
 static int cache_defer_req(struct cache_req *req, struct cache_head *item)
 {
 	struct cache_deferred_req *dreq, *discard;
 	int hash = DFR_HASH(item);
+	struct thread_deferred_req sleeper;
 
 	if (cache_defer_cnt >= DFR_MAX) {
 		/* too much in the cache, randomly drop this one,
@@ -521,7 +533,15 @@ static int cache_defer_req(struct cache_req *req, struct cache_head *item)
 		if (net_random()&1)
 			return -ENOMEM;
 	}
-	dreq = req->defer(req);
+	if (req->thread_wait) {
+		dreq = &sleeper.handle;
+		sleeper.completion =
+			COMPLETION_INITIALIZER_ONSTACK(sleeper.completion);
+		dreq->revisit = cache_restart_thread;
+	} else
+		dreq = req->defer(req);
+
+ retry:
 	if (dreq == NULL)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
@@ -555,6 +575,43 @@ static int cache_defer_req(struct cache_req *req, struct cache_head *item)
 		cache_revisit_request(item);
 		return -EAGAIN;
 	}
+
+	if (dreq == &sleeper.handle) {
+		if (wait_for_completion_interruptible_timeout(
+			    &sleeper.completion, req->thread_wait) <= 0) {
+			/* The completion wasn't completed, so we need
+			 * to clean up
+			 */
+			spin_lock(&cache_defer_lock);
+			if (!list_empty(&sleeper.handle.hash)) {
+				list_del_init(&sleeper.handle.recent);
+				list_del_init(&sleeper.handle.hash);
+				cache_defer_cnt--;
+				spin_unlock(&cache_defer_lock);
+			} else {
+				/* cache_revisit_request already removed
+				 * this from the hash table, but hasn't
+				 * called ->revisit yet.  It will very soon
+				 * and we need to wait for it.
+				 */
+				spin_unlock(&cache_defer_lock);
+				wait_for_completion(&sleeper.completion);
+			}
+		}
+		if (test_bit(CACHE_PENDING, &item->flags)) {
+			/* item is still pending, try request
+			 * deferral
+			 */
+			dreq = req->defer(req);
+			goto retry;
+		}
+		/* only return success if we actually deferred the
+		 * request.  In this case we waited until it was
+		 * answered so no deferral has happened - rather
+		 * an answer already exists.
+		 */
+		return -EEXIST;
+	}
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/net/sunrpc/svc_xprt.c b/net/sunrpc/svc_xprt.c
index cbc084939dd8..8ff6840866fa 100644
--- a/net/sunrpc/svc_xprt.c
+++ b/net/sunrpc/svc_xprt.c
@@ -651,6 +651,11 @@ int svc_recv(struct svc_rqst *rqstp, long timeout)
 	if (signalled() || kthread_should_stop())
 		return -EINTR;
 
+	/* Normally we will wait up to 5 seconds for any required
+	 * cache information to be provided.
+	 */
+	rqstp->rq_chandle.thread_wait = 5*HZ;
+
 	spin_lock_bh(&pool->sp_lock);
 	xprt = svc_xprt_dequeue(pool);
 	if (xprt) {
@@ -658,6 +663,12 @@ int svc_recv(struct svc_rqst *rqstp, long timeout)
 		svc_xprt_get(xprt);
 		rqstp->rq_reserved = serv->sv_max_mesg;
 		atomic_add(rqstp->rq_reserved, &xprt->xpt_reserved);
+
+		/* As there is a shortage of threads and this request
+		 * had to be queue, don't allow the thread to wait so
+		 * long for cache updates.
+		 */
+		rqstp->rq_chandle.thread_wait = 1*HZ;
 	} else {
 		/* No data pending. Go to sleep */
 		svc_thread_enqueue(pool, rqstp);