diff --git a/fs/cifs/smb2pdu.c b/fs/cifs/smb2pdu.c
index 3e9bee35a03c..f2980f78149c 100644
--- a/fs/cifs/smb2pdu.c
+++ b/fs/cifs/smb2pdu.c
@@ -986,8 +986,14 @@ int smb3_validate_negotiate(const unsigned int xid, struct cifs_tcon *tcon)
 	rc = SMB2_ioctl(xid, tcon, NO_FILE_ID, NO_FILE_ID,
 		FSCTL_VALIDATE_NEGOTIATE_INFO, true /* is_fsctl */,
 		(char *)pneg_inbuf, inbuflen, (char **)&pneg_rsp, &rsplen);
-
-	if (rc != 0) {
+	if (rc == -EOPNOTSUPP) {
+		/*
+		 * Old Windows versions or Netapp SMB server can return
+		 * not supported error. Client should accept it.
+		 */
+		cifs_dbg(VFS, "Server does not support validate negotiate\n");
+		return 0;
+	} else if (rc != 0) {
 		cifs_dbg(VFS, "validate protocol negotiate failed: %d\n", rc);
 		rc = -EIO;
 		goto out_free_inbuf;