diff --git a/net/sunrpc/auth_gss/svcauth_gss.c b/net/sunrpc/auth_gss/svcauth_gss.c
index d0347d148b34..09fb638bcaa4 100644
--- a/net/sunrpc/auth_gss/svcauth_gss.c
+++ b/net/sunrpc/auth_gss/svcauth_gss.c
@@ -1180,6 +1180,7 @@ static int gss_proxy_save_rsc(struct cache_detail *cd,
 		gm = gss_mech_get_by_OID(&ud->mech_oid);
 		if (!gm)
 			goto out;
+		rsci.cred.cr_gss_mech = gm;
 
 		status = -EINVAL;
 		/* mech-specific data: */
@@ -1195,7 +1196,6 @@ static int gss_proxy_save_rsc(struct cache_detail *cd,
 	rscp = rsc_update(cd, &rsci, rscp);
 	status = 0;
 out:
-	gss_mech_put(gm);
 	rsc_free(&rsci);
 	if (rscp)
 		cache_put(&rscp->h, cd);