diff --git a/net/sunrpc/auth.c b/net/sunrpc/auth.c
index 9527f2b..f6b6c81 100644
--- a/net/sunrpc/auth.c
+++ b/net/sunrpc/auth.c
@@ -137,9 +137,8 @@
  * that are not referenced.
  */
 void
-rpcauth_free_credcache(struct rpc_auth *auth)
+rpcauth_clear_credcache(struct rpc_cred_cache *cache)
 {
-	struct rpc_cred_cache *cache = auth->au_credcache;
 	HLIST_HEAD(free);
 	struct hlist_node *pos, *next;
 	struct rpc_cred	*cred;
@@ -157,6 +156,21 @@
 	rpcauth_destroy_credlist(&free);
 }
 
+/*
+ * Destroy the RPC credential cache
+ */
+void
+rpcauth_destroy_credcache(struct rpc_auth *auth)
+{
+	struct rpc_cred_cache *cache = auth->au_credcache;
+
+	if (cache) {
+		auth->au_credcache = NULL;
+		rpcauth_clear_credcache(cache);
+		kfree(cache);
+	}
+}
+
 static void
 rpcauth_prune_expired(struct rpc_auth *auth, struct rpc_cred *cred, struct hlist_head *free)
 {
diff --git a/net/sunrpc/auth_gss/auth_gss.c b/net/sunrpc/auth_gss/auth_gss.c
index 50809086..8b4c02f 100644
--- a/net/sunrpc/auth_gss/auth_gss.c
+++ b/net/sunrpc/auth_gss/auth_gss.c
@@ -665,12 +665,13 @@
 	dprintk("RPC:       destroying GSS authenticator %p flavor %d\n",
 			auth, auth->au_flavor);
 
+	rpcauth_destroy_credcache(auth);
+
 	gss_auth = container_of(auth, struct gss_auth, rpc_auth);
 	rpc_unlink(gss_auth->dentry);
 	gss_auth->dentry = NULL;
 	gss_mech_put(gss_auth->mech);
 
-	rpcauth_free_credcache(auth);
 	kfree(gss_auth);
 	module_put(THIS_MODULE);
 }
diff --git a/net/sunrpc/auth_unix.c b/net/sunrpc/auth_unix.c
index 82300b8..5622783 100644
--- a/net/sunrpc/auth_unix.c
+++ b/net/sunrpc/auth_unix.c
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@
 unx_destroy(struct rpc_auth *auth)
 {
 	dprintk("RPC:       destroying UNIX authenticator %p\n", auth);
-	rpcauth_free_credcache(auth);
+	rpcauth_clear_credcache(auth->au_credcache);
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/net/sunrpc/sunrpc_syms.c b/net/sunrpc/sunrpc_syms.c
index b99b11b..3e19e7a 100644
--- a/net/sunrpc/sunrpc_syms.c
+++ b/net/sunrpc/sunrpc_syms.c
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(rpcauth_create);
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(rpcauth_lookupcred);
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(rpcauth_lookup_credcache);
-EXPORT_SYMBOL(rpcauth_free_credcache);
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(rpcauth_destroy_credcache);
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(rpcauth_init_credcache);
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(put_rpccred);