diff --git a/fs/cifs/cifsacl.c b/fs/cifs/cifsacl.c
index 6941c22..7dfe084 100644
--- a/fs/cifs/cifsacl.c
+++ b/fs/cifs/cifsacl.c
@@ -607,7 +607,7 @@
 		return get_cifs_acl_by_path(cifs_sb, path, pacllen);
 
 	pntsd = get_cifs_acl_by_fid(cifs_sb, open_file->netfid, pacllen);
-	atomic_dec(&open_file->wrtPending);
+	cifsFileInfo_put(open_file);
 	return pntsd;
 }
 
@@ -665,7 +665,7 @@
 		return set_cifs_acl_by_path(cifs_sb, path, pnntsd, acllen);
 
 	rc = set_cifs_acl_by_fid(cifs_sb, open_file->netfid, pnntsd, acllen);
-	atomic_dec(&open_file->wrtPending);
+	cifsFileInfo_put(open_file);
 	return rc;
 }
 
diff --git a/fs/cifs/cifsglob.h b/fs/cifs/cifsglob.h
index f100399..6cfc81a 100644
--- a/fs/cifs/cifsglob.h
+++ b/fs/cifs/cifsglob.h
@@ -351,11 +351,24 @@
 	bool closePend:1;	/* file is marked to close */
 	bool invalidHandle:1;	/* file closed via session abend */
 	bool messageMode:1;	/* for pipes: message vs byte mode */
-	atomic_t wrtPending;   /* handle in use - defer close */
+	atomic_t count;		/* reference count */
 	struct mutex fh_mutex; /* prevents reopen race after dead ses*/
 	struct cifs_search_info srch_inf;
 };
 
+/* Take a reference on the file private data */
+static inline void cifsFileInfo_get(struct cifsFileInfo *cifs_file)
+{
+	atomic_inc(&cifs_file->count);
+}
+
+/* Release a reference on the file private data */
+static inline void cifsFileInfo_put(struct cifsFileInfo *cifs_file)
+{
+	if (atomic_dec_and_test(&cifs_file->count))
+		kfree(cifs_file);
+}
+
 /*
  * One of these for each file inode
  */
diff --git a/fs/cifs/dir.c b/fs/cifs/dir.c
index 4326ffd..a6424cf 100644
--- a/fs/cifs/dir.c
+++ b/fs/cifs/dir.c
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@
 	mutex_init(&pCifsFile->fh_mutex);
 	mutex_init(&pCifsFile->lock_mutex);
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&pCifsFile->llist);
-	atomic_set(&pCifsFile->wrtPending, 0);
+	atomic_set(&pCifsFile->count, 1);
 
 	/* set the following in open now
 			pCifsFile->pfile = file; */
diff --git a/fs/cifs/file.c b/fs/cifs/file.c
index c34b7f8..fa7beac 100644
--- a/fs/cifs/file.c
+++ b/fs/cifs/file.c
@@ -53,11 +53,9 @@
 	private_data->pInode = inode;
 	private_data->invalidHandle = false;
 	private_data->closePend = false;
-	/* we have to track num writers to the inode, since writepages
-	does not tell us which handle the write is for so there can
-	be a close (overlapping with write) of the filehandle that
-	cifs_writepages chose to use */
-	atomic_set(&private_data->wrtPending, 0);
+	/* Initialize reference count to one.  The private data is
+	freed on the release of the last reference */
+	atomic_set(&private_data->count, 1);
 
 	return private_data;
 }
@@ -643,7 +641,7 @@
 			if (!pTcon->need_reconnect) {
 				write_unlock(&GlobalSMBSeslock);
 				timeout = 2;
-				while ((atomic_read(&pSMBFile->wrtPending) != 0)
+				while ((atomic_read(&pSMBFile->count) != 1)
 					&& (timeout <= 2048)) {
 					/* Give write a better chance to get to
 					server ahead of the close.  We do not
@@ -657,8 +655,6 @@
 					msleep(timeout);
 					timeout *= 4;
 				}
-				if (atomic_read(&pSMBFile->wrtPending))
-					cERROR(1, ("close with pending write"));
 				if (!pTcon->need_reconnect &&
 				    !pSMBFile->invalidHandle)
 					rc = CIFSSMBClose(xid, pTcon,
@@ -681,24 +677,7 @@
 		list_del(&pSMBFile->flist);
 		list_del(&pSMBFile->tlist);
 		write_unlock(&GlobalSMBSeslock);
-		timeout = 10;
-		/* We waited above to give the SMBWrite a chance to issue
-		   on the wire (so we do not get SMBWrite returning EBADF
-		   if writepages is racing with close.  Note that writepages
-		   does not specify a file handle, so it is possible for a file
-		   to be opened twice, and the application close the "wrong"
-		   file handle - in these cases we delay long enough to allow
-		   the SMBWrite to get on the wire before the SMB Close.
-		   We allow total wait here over 45 seconds, more than
-		   oplock break time, and more than enough to allow any write
-		   to complete on the server, or to time out on the client */
-		while ((atomic_read(&pSMBFile->wrtPending) != 0)
-				&& (timeout <= 50000)) {
-			cERROR(1, ("writes pending, delay free of handle"));
-			msleep(timeout);
-			timeout *= 8;
-		}
-		kfree(file->private_data);
+		cifsFileInfo_put(file->private_data);
 		file->private_data = NULL;
 	} else
 		rc = -EBADF;
@@ -1236,7 +1215,7 @@
 			if (!open_file->invalidHandle) {
 				/* found a good file */
 				/* lock it so it will not be closed on us */
-				atomic_inc(&open_file->wrtPending);
+				cifsFileInfo_get(open_file);
 				read_unlock(&GlobalSMBSeslock);
 				return open_file;
 			} /* else might as well continue, and look for
@@ -1276,7 +1255,7 @@
 		if (open_file->pfile &&
 		    ((open_file->pfile->f_flags & O_RDWR) ||
 		     (open_file->pfile->f_flags & O_WRONLY))) {
-			atomic_inc(&open_file->wrtPending);
+			cifsFileInfo_get(open_file);
 
 			if (!open_file->invalidHandle) {
 				/* found a good writable file */
@@ -1293,7 +1272,7 @@
 				else { /* start over in case this was deleted */
 				       /* since the list could be modified */
 					read_lock(&GlobalSMBSeslock);
-					atomic_dec(&open_file->wrtPending);
+					cifsFileInfo_put(open_file);
 					goto refind_writable;
 				}
 			}
@@ -1309,7 +1288,7 @@
 			read_lock(&GlobalSMBSeslock);
 			/* can not use this handle, no write
 			   pending on this one after all */
-			atomic_dec(&open_file->wrtPending);
+			cifsFileInfo_put(open_file);
 
 			if (open_file->closePend) /* list could have changed */
 				goto refind_writable;
@@ -1373,7 +1352,7 @@
 	if (open_file) {
 		bytes_written = cifs_write(open_file->pfile, write_data,
 					   to-from, &offset);
-		atomic_dec(&open_file->wrtPending);
+		cifsFileInfo_put(open_file);
 		/* Does mm or vfs already set times? */
 		inode->i_atime = inode->i_mtime = current_fs_time(inode->i_sb);
 		if ((bytes_written > 0) && (offset))
@@ -1562,7 +1541,7 @@
 						   bytes_to_write, offset,
 						   &bytes_written, iov, n_iov,
 						   long_op);
-				atomic_dec(&open_file->wrtPending);
+				cifsFileInfo_put(open_file);
 				cifs_update_eof(cifsi, offset, bytes_written);
 
 				if (rc || bytes_written < bytes_to_write) {
diff --git a/fs/cifs/inode.c b/fs/cifs/inode.c
index 82d83839..1f09c76 100644
--- a/fs/cifs/inode.c
+++ b/fs/cifs/inode.c
@@ -800,7 +800,7 @@
 	if (open_file == NULL)
 		CIFSSMBClose(xid, pTcon, netfid);
 	else
-		atomic_dec(&open_file->wrtPending);
+		cifsFileInfo_put(open_file);
 out:
 	return rc;
 }
@@ -1635,7 +1635,7 @@
 		__u32 npid = open_file->pid;
 		rc = CIFSSMBSetFileSize(xid, pTcon, attrs->ia_size, nfid,
 					npid, false);
-		atomic_dec(&open_file->wrtPending);
+		cifsFileInfo_put(open_file);
 		cFYI(1, ("SetFSize for attrs rc = %d", rc));
 		if ((rc == -EINVAL) || (rc == -EOPNOTSUPP)) {
 			unsigned int bytes_written;
@@ -1790,7 +1790,7 @@
 		u16 nfid = open_file->netfid;
 		u32 npid = open_file->pid;
 		rc = CIFSSMBUnixSetFileInfo(xid, pTcon, args, nfid, npid);
-		atomic_dec(&open_file->wrtPending);
+		cifsFileInfo_put(open_file);
 	} else {
 		rc = CIFSSMBUnixSetPathInfo(xid, pTcon, full_path, args,
 				    cifs_sb->local_nls,