diff --git a/fs/lockd/host.c b/fs/lockd/host.c
index 90a62f27914c..82c77df81c5f 100644
--- a/fs/lockd/host.c
+++ b/fs/lockd/host.c
@@ -189,6 +189,8 @@ nlm_bind_host(struct nlm_host *host)
 			goto forgetit;
 
 		xprt_set_timeout(&xprt->timeout, 5, nlmsvc_timeout);
+		xprt->nocong = 1;	/* No congestion control for NLM */
+		xprt->resvport = 1;	/* NLM requires a reserved port */
 
 		/* Existing NLM servers accept AUTH_UNIX only */
 		clnt = rpc_create_client(xprt, host->h_name, &nlm_program,
@@ -196,8 +198,6 @@ nlm_bind_host(struct nlm_host *host)
 		if (IS_ERR(clnt))
 			goto forgetit;
 		clnt->cl_autobind = 1;	/* turn on pmap queries */
-		xprt->nocong = 1;	/* No congestion control for NLM */
-		xprt->resvport = 1;	/* NLM requires a reserved port */
 
 		host->h_rpcclnt = clnt;
 	}
diff --git a/fs/lockd/mon.c b/fs/lockd/mon.c
index 81b5e7778d70..2d144abe84ad 100644
--- a/fs/lockd/mon.c
+++ b/fs/lockd/mon.c
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ nsm_create(void)
 	xprt = xprt_create_proto(IPPROTO_UDP, &sin, NULL);
 	if (IS_ERR(xprt))
 		return (struct rpc_clnt *)xprt;
+	xprt->resvport = 1;	/* NSM requires a reserved port */
 
 	clnt = rpc_create_client(xprt, "localhost",
 				&nsm_program, SM_VERSION,
@@ -124,7 +125,6 @@ nsm_create(void)
 	clnt->cl_softrtry = 1;
 	clnt->cl_chatty   = 1;
 	clnt->cl_oneshot  = 1;
-	xprt->resvport = 1;	/* NSM requires a reserved port */
 	return clnt;
 
 out_err:
diff --git a/include/linux/sunrpc/clnt.h b/include/linux/sunrpc/clnt.h
index 2709caf4d128..d25e80f77ff5 100644
--- a/include/linux/sunrpc/clnt.h
+++ b/include/linux/sunrpc/clnt.h
@@ -111,6 +111,9 @@ struct rpc_procinfo {
 struct rpc_clnt *rpc_create_client(struct rpc_xprt *xprt, char *servname,
 				struct rpc_program *info,
 				u32 version, rpc_authflavor_t authflavor);
+struct rpc_clnt *rpc_new_client(struct rpc_xprt *xprt, char *servname,
+				struct rpc_program *info,
+				u32 version, rpc_authflavor_t authflavor);
 struct rpc_clnt *rpc_clone_client(struct rpc_clnt *);
 int		rpc_shutdown_client(struct rpc_clnt *);
 int		rpc_destroy_client(struct rpc_clnt *);
@@ -129,6 +132,7 @@ void		rpc_clnt_sigmask(struct rpc_clnt *clnt, sigset_t *oldset);
 void		rpc_clnt_sigunmask(struct rpc_clnt *clnt, sigset_t *oldset);
 void		rpc_setbufsize(struct rpc_clnt *, unsigned int, unsigned int);
 size_t		rpc_max_payload(struct rpc_clnt *);
+int		rpc_ping(struct rpc_clnt *clnt, int flags);
 
 static __inline__
 int rpc_call(struct rpc_clnt *clnt, u32 proc, void *argp, void *resp, int flags)
diff --git a/net/sunrpc/clnt.c b/net/sunrpc/clnt.c
index 99515d7727a6..b36797ad8083 100644
--- a/net/sunrpc/clnt.c
+++ b/net/sunrpc/clnt.c
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ rpc_setup_pipedir(struct rpc_clnt *clnt, char *dir_name)
  * made to sleep too long.
  */
 struct rpc_clnt *
-rpc_create_client(struct rpc_xprt *xprt, char *servname,
+rpc_new_client(struct rpc_xprt *xprt, char *servname,
 		  struct rpc_program *program, u32 vers,
 		  rpc_authflavor_t flavor)
 {
@@ -182,6 +182,36 @@ rpc_create_client(struct rpc_xprt *xprt, char *servname,
 	return ERR_PTR(err);
 }
 
+/**
+ * Create an RPC client
+ * @xprt - pointer to xprt struct
+ * @servname - name of server
+ * @info - rpc_program
+ * @version - rpc_program version
+ * @authflavor - rpc_auth flavour to use
+ *
+ * Creates an RPC client structure, then pings the server in order to
+ * determine if it is up, and if it supports this program and version.
+ *
+ * This function should never be called by asynchronous tasks such as
+ * the portmapper.
+ */
+struct rpc_clnt *rpc_create_client(struct rpc_xprt *xprt, char *servname,
+		struct rpc_program *info, u32 version, rpc_authflavor_t authflavor)
+{
+	struct rpc_clnt *clnt;
+	int err;
+	
+	clnt = rpc_new_client(xprt, servname, info, version, authflavor);
+	if (IS_ERR(clnt))
+		return clnt;
+	err = rpc_ping(clnt, RPC_TASK_SOFT|RPC_TASK_NOINTR);
+	if (err == 0)
+		return clnt;
+	rpc_shutdown_client(clnt);
+	return ERR_PTR(err);
+}
+
 /*
  * This function clones the RPC client structure. It allows us to share the
  * same transport while varying parameters such as the authentication
@@ -1086,3 +1116,30 @@ call_verify(struct rpc_task *task)
 	printk(KERN_WARNING "RPC %s: server reply was truncated.\n", __FUNCTION__);
 	goto out_retry;
 }
+
+static int rpcproc_encode_null(void *rqstp, u32 *data, void *obj)
+{
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static int rpcproc_decode_null(void *rqstp, u32 *data, void *obj)
+{
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static struct rpc_procinfo rpcproc_null = {
+	.p_encode = rpcproc_encode_null,
+	.p_decode = rpcproc_decode_null,
+};
+
+int rpc_ping(struct rpc_clnt *clnt, int flags)
+{
+	struct rpc_message msg = {
+		.rpc_proc = &rpcproc_null,
+	};
+	int err;
+	msg.rpc_cred = authnull_ops.lookup_cred(NULL, NULL, 0);
+	err = rpc_call_sync(clnt, &msg, flags);
+	put_rpccred(msg.rpc_cred);
+	return err;
+}
diff --git a/net/sunrpc/pmap_clnt.c b/net/sunrpc/pmap_clnt.c
index 97c420ff1ee0..df4d84c9020d 100644
--- a/net/sunrpc/pmap_clnt.c
+++ b/net/sunrpc/pmap_clnt.c
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ pmap_create(char *hostname, struct sockaddr_in *srvaddr, int proto)
 	xprt->addr.sin_port = htons(RPC_PMAP_PORT);
 
 	/* printk("pmap: create clnt\n"); */
-	clnt = rpc_create_client(xprt, hostname,
+	clnt = rpc_new_client(xprt, hostname,
 				&pmap_program, RPC_PMAP_VERSION,
 				RPC_AUTH_UNIX);
 	if (!IS_ERR(clnt)) {