diff --git a/drivers/nvme/host/fc.c b/drivers/nvme/host/fc.c
index 1912df412692..d2e882c0f496 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/host/fc.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/host/fc.c
@@ -220,6 +220,90 @@ static int __nvme_fc_del_ctrl(struct nvme_fc_ctrl *);
 static void __nvme_fc_delete_hw_queue(struct nvme_fc_ctrl *,
 			struct nvme_fc_queue *, unsigned int);
 
+static void
+nvme_fc_free_lport(struct kref *ref)
+{
+	struct nvme_fc_lport *lport =
+		container_of(ref, struct nvme_fc_lport, ref);
+	unsigned long flags;
+
+	WARN_ON(lport->localport.port_state != FC_OBJSTATE_DELETED);
+	WARN_ON(!list_empty(&lport->endp_list));
+
+	/* remove from transport list */
+	spin_lock_irqsave(&nvme_fc_lock, flags);
+	list_del(&lport->port_list);
+	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&nvme_fc_lock, flags);
+
+	/* let the LLDD know we've finished tearing it down */
+	lport->ops->localport_delete(&lport->localport);
+
+	ida_simple_remove(&nvme_fc_local_port_cnt, lport->localport.port_num);
+	ida_destroy(&lport->endp_cnt);
+
+	put_device(lport->dev);
+
+	kfree(lport);
+}
+
+static void
+nvme_fc_lport_put(struct nvme_fc_lport *lport)
+{
+	kref_put(&lport->ref, nvme_fc_free_lport);
+}
+
+static int
+nvme_fc_lport_get(struct nvme_fc_lport *lport)
+{
+	return kref_get_unless_zero(&lport->ref);
+}
+
+
+static struct nvme_fc_lport *
+nvme_fc_attach_to_unreg_lport(struct nvme_fc_port_info *pinfo)
+{
+	struct nvme_fc_lport *lport;
+	unsigned long flags;
+
+	spin_lock_irqsave(&nvme_fc_lock, flags);
+
+	list_for_each_entry(lport, &nvme_fc_lport_list, port_list) {
+		if (lport->localport.node_name != pinfo->node_name ||
+		    lport->localport.port_name != pinfo->port_name)
+			continue;
+
+		if (lport->localport.port_state != FC_OBJSTATE_DELETED) {
+			lport = ERR_PTR(-EEXIST);
+			goto out_done;
+		}
+
+		if (!nvme_fc_lport_get(lport)) {
+			/*
+			 * fails if ref cnt already 0. If so,
+			 * act as if lport already deleted
+			 */
+			lport = NULL;
+			goto out_done;
+		}
+
+		/* resume the lport */
+
+		lport->localport.port_role = pinfo->port_role;
+		lport->localport.port_id = pinfo->port_id;
+		lport->localport.port_state = FC_OBJSTATE_ONLINE;
+
+		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&nvme_fc_lock, flags);
+
+		return lport;
+	}
+
+	lport = NULL;
+
+out_done:
+	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&nvme_fc_lock, flags);
+
+	return lport;
+}
 
 /**
  * nvme_fc_register_localport - transport entry point called by an
@@ -257,6 +341,28 @@ nvme_fc_register_localport(struct nvme_fc_port_info *pinfo,
 		goto out_reghost_failed;
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * look to see if there is already a localport that had been
+	 * deregistered and in the process of waiting for all the
+	 * references to fully be removed.  If the references haven't
+	 * expired, we can simply re-enable the localport. Remoteports
+	 * and controller reconnections should resume naturally.
+	 */
+	newrec = nvme_fc_attach_to_unreg_lport(pinfo);
+
+	/* found an lport, but something about its state is bad */
+	if (IS_ERR(newrec)) {
+		ret = PTR_ERR(newrec);
+		goto out_reghost_failed;
+
+	/* found existing lport, which was resumed */
+	} else if (newrec) {
+		*portptr = &newrec->localport;
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	/* nothing found - allocate a new localport struct */
+
 	newrec = kmalloc((sizeof(*newrec) + template->local_priv_sz),
 			 GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!newrec) {
@@ -310,44 +416,6 @@ out_reghost_failed:
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(nvme_fc_register_localport);
 
-static void
-nvme_fc_free_lport(struct kref *ref)
-{
-	struct nvme_fc_lport *lport =
-		container_of(ref, struct nvme_fc_lport, ref);
-	unsigned long flags;
-
-	WARN_ON(lport->localport.port_state != FC_OBJSTATE_DELETED);
-	WARN_ON(!list_empty(&lport->endp_list));
-
-	/* remove from transport list */
-	spin_lock_irqsave(&nvme_fc_lock, flags);
-	list_del(&lport->port_list);
-	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&nvme_fc_lock, flags);
-
-	/* let the LLDD know we've finished tearing it down */
-	lport->ops->localport_delete(&lport->localport);
-
-	ida_simple_remove(&nvme_fc_local_port_cnt, lport->localport.port_num);
-	ida_destroy(&lport->endp_cnt);
-
-	put_device(lport->dev);
-
-	kfree(lport);
-}
-
-static void
-nvme_fc_lport_put(struct nvme_fc_lport *lport)
-{
-	kref_put(&lport->ref, nvme_fc_free_lport);
-}
-
-static int
-nvme_fc_lport_get(struct nvme_fc_lport *lport)
-{
-	return kref_get_unless_zero(&lport->ref);
-}
-
 /**
  * nvme_fc_unregister_localport - transport entry point called by an
  *                              LLDD to deregister/remove a previously