diff --git a/net/sunrpc/cache.c b/net/sunrpc/cache.c
index 824e8534e022..14274490f92e 100644
--- a/net/sunrpc/cache.c
+++ b/net/sunrpc/cache.c
@@ -530,6 +530,13 @@ static int cache_defer_req(struct cache_req *req, struct cache_head *item)
 	struct cache_deferred_req *dreq;
 	int hash = DFR_HASH(item);
 
+	if (cache_defer_cnt >= DFR_MAX) {
+		/* too much in the cache, randomly drop this one,
+		 * or continue and drop the oldest below
+		 */
+		if (net_random()&1)
+			return -ETIMEDOUT;
+	}
 	dreq = req->defer(req);
 	if (dreq == NULL)
 		return -ETIMEDOUT;
@@ -548,17 +555,8 @@ static int cache_defer_req(struct cache_req *req, struct cache_head *item)
 	/* it is in, now maybe clean up */
 	dreq = NULL;
 	if (++cache_defer_cnt > DFR_MAX) {
-		/* too much in the cache, randomly drop
-		 * first or last
-		 */
-		if (net_random()&1) 
-			dreq = list_entry(cache_defer_list.next,
-					  struct cache_deferred_req,
-					  recent);
-		else
-			dreq = list_entry(cache_defer_list.prev,
-					  struct cache_deferred_req,
-					  recent);
+		dreq = list_entry(cache_defer_list.prev,
+				  struct cache_deferred_req, recent);
 		list_del(&dreq->recent);
 		list_del(&dreq->hash);
 		cache_defer_cnt--;