if ((tpg->tpg_attrib.generate_node_acls == 0) &&
                            (tpg->tpg_attrib.demo_mode_discovery == 0) &&
-                           (!core_tpg_get_initiator_node_acl(&tpg->tpg_se_tpg,
+                           (!target_tpg_has_node_acl(&tpg->tpg_se_tpg,
                                cmd->conn->sess->sess_ops->InitiatorName))) {
                                continue;
                        }
 
        unsigned char *initiatorname)
 {
        struct se_node_acl *acl;
-
+       /*
+        * Obtain se_node_acl->acl_kref using fabric driver provided
+        * initiatorname[] during node acl endpoint lookup driven by
+        * new se_session login.
+        *
+        * The reference is held until se_session shutdown -> release
+        * occurs via fabric driver invoked transport_deregister_session()
+        * or transport_free_session() code.
+        */
        mutex_lock(&tpg->acl_node_mutex);
        acl = __core_tpg_get_initiator_node_acl(tpg, initiatorname);
+       if (acl) {
+               if (!kref_get_unless_zero(&acl->acl_kref))
+                       acl = NULL;
+       }
        mutex_unlock(&tpg->acl_node_mutex);
 
        return acl;
                acl->initiatorname);
 }
 
+bool target_tpg_has_node_acl(struct se_portal_group *tpg,
+                            const char *initiatorname)
+{
+       struct se_node_acl *acl;
+       bool found = false;
+
+       mutex_lock(&tpg->acl_node_mutex);
+       list_for_each_entry(acl, &tpg->acl_node_list, acl_list) {
+               if (!strcmp(acl->initiatorname, initiatorname)) {
+                       found = true;
+                       break;
+               }
+       }
+       mutex_unlock(&tpg->acl_node_mutex);
+
+       return found;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(target_tpg_has_node_acl);
+
 struct se_node_acl *core_tpg_check_initiator_node_acl(
        struct se_portal_group *tpg,
        unsigned char *initiatorname)
        acl = target_alloc_node_acl(tpg, initiatorname);
        if (!acl)
                return NULL;
+       /*
+        * When allocating a dynamically generated node_acl, go ahead
+        * and take the extra kref now before returning to the fabric
+        * driver caller.
+        *
+        * Note this reference will be released at session shutdown
+        * time within transport_free_session() code.
+        */
+       kref_get(&acl->acl_kref);
        acl->dynamic_node_acl = 1;
 
        /*
 
                                        &buf[0], PR_REG_ISID_LEN);
                        se_sess->sess_bin_isid = get_unaligned_be64(&buf[0]);
                }
-               kref_get(&se_nacl->acl_kref);
 
                spin_lock_irq(&se_nacl->nacl_sess_lock);
                /*
 {
        kref_put(&nacl->acl_kref, target_complete_nacl);
 }
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(target_put_nacl);
 
 void transport_deregister_session_configfs(struct se_session *se_sess)
 {
 
 void transport_free_session(struct se_session *se_sess)
 {
+       struct se_node_acl *se_nacl = se_sess->se_node_acl;
+       /*
+        * Drop the se_node_acl->nacl_kref obtained from within
+        * core_tpg_get_initiator_node_acl().
+        */
+       if (se_nacl) {
+               se_sess->se_node_acl = NULL;
+               target_put_nacl(se_nacl);
+       }
        if (se_sess->sess_cmd_map) {
                percpu_ida_destroy(&se_sess->sess_tag_pool);
                kvfree(se_sess->sess_cmd_map);
        const struct target_core_fabric_ops *se_tfo;
        struct se_node_acl *se_nacl;
        unsigned long flags;
-       bool comp_nacl = true, drop_nacl = false;
+       bool drop_nacl = false;
 
        if (!se_tpg) {
                transport_free_session(se_sess);
        if (drop_nacl) {
                core_tpg_wait_for_nacl_pr_ref(se_nacl);
                core_free_device_list_for_node(se_nacl, se_tpg);
+               se_sess->se_node_acl = NULL;
                kfree(se_nacl);
-               comp_nacl = false;
        }
        pr_debug("TARGET_CORE[%s]: Deregistered fabric_sess\n",
                se_tpg->se_tpg_tfo->get_fabric_name());
        /*
         * If last kref is dropping now for an explicit NodeACL, awake sleeping
         * ->acl_free_comp caller to wakeup configfs se_node_acl->acl_group
-        * removal context.
+        * removal context from within transport_free_session() code.
         */
-       if (se_nacl && comp_nacl)
-               target_put_nacl(se_nacl);
 
        transport_free_session(se_sess);
 }
 
 
 struct se_node_acl *core_tpg_get_initiator_node_acl(struct se_portal_group *tpg,
                unsigned char *);
+bool   target_tpg_has_node_acl(struct se_portal_group *tpg,
+               const char *);
 struct se_node_acl *core_tpg_check_initiator_node_acl(struct se_portal_group *,
                unsigned char *);
 int    core_tpg_set_initiator_node_queue_depth(struct se_node_acl *, u32);