goto out_failed;
 
        ds_cred = ff_layout_get_ds_cred(lseg, idx, hdr->cred);
-       if (IS_ERR(ds_cred))
+       if (!ds_cred)
                goto out_failed;
 
        vers = nfs4_ff_layout_ds_version(lseg, idx);
                          vers == 3 ? &ff_layout_read_call_ops_v3 :
                                      &ff_layout_read_call_ops_v4,
                          0, RPC_TASK_SOFTCONN);
-
+       put_rpccred(ds_cred);
        return PNFS_ATTEMPTED;
 
 out_failed:
                return PNFS_NOT_ATTEMPTED;
 
        ds_cred = ff_layout_get_ds_cred(lseg, idx, hdr->cred);
-       if (IS_ERR(ds_cred))
+       if (!ds_cred)
                return PNFS_NOT_ATTEMPTED;
 
        vers = nfs4_ff_layout_ds_version(lseg, idx);
                          vers == 3 ? &ff_layout_write_call_ops_v3 :
                                      &ff_layout_write_call_ops_v4,
                          sync, RPC_TASK_SOFTCONN);
+       put_rpccred(ds_cred);
        return PNFS_ATTEMPTED;
 }
 
        struct rpc_clnt *ds_clnt;
        struct rpc_cred *ds_cred;
        u32 idx;
-       int vers;
+       int vers, ret;
        struct nfs_fh *fh;
 
        idx = calc_ds_index_from_commit(lseg, data->ds_commit_index);
                goto out_err;
 
        ds_cred = ff_layout_get_ds_cred(lseg, idx, data->cred);
-       if (IS_ERR(ds_cred))
+       if (!ds_cred)
                goto out_err;
 
        vers = nfs4_ff_layout_ds_version(lseg, idx);
        if (fh)
                data->args.fh = fh;
 
-       return nfs_initiate_commit(ds_clnt, data, ds->ds_clp->rpc_ops,
+       ret = nfs_initiate_commit(ds_clnt, data, ds->ds_clp->rpc_ops,
                                   vers == 3 ? &ff_layout_commit_call_ops_v3 :
                                               &ff_layout_commit_call_ops_v4,
                                   how, RPC_TASK_SOFTCONN);
+       put_rpccred(ds_cred);
+       return ret;
 out_err:
        pnfs_generic_prepare_to_resend_writes(data);
        pnfs_generic_commit_release(data);
 
        return 0;
 }
 
+static struct rpc_cred *
+ff_layout_get_mirror_cred(struct nfs4_ff_layout_mirror *mirror, u32 iomode)
+{
+       struct rpc_cred *cred, **pcred;
+
+       pcred = &mirror->cred;
+
+       rcu_read_lock();
+       do {
+               cred = rcu_dereference(*pcred);
+               if (!cred)
+                       break;
+
+               cred = get_rpccred_rcu(cred);
+       } while(!cred);
+       rcu_read_unlock();
+       return cred;
+}
+
 struct nfs_fh *
 nfs4_ff_layout_select_ds_fh(struct pnfs_layout_segment *lseg, u32 mirror_idx)
 {
        struct nfs4_ff_layout_mirror *mirror = FF_LAYOUT_COMP(lseg, ds_idx);
        struct rpc_cred *cred;
 
-       if (mirror && mirror->cred)
-               cred = mirror->cred;
-       else
-               cred = mdscred;
+       if (mirror) {
+               cred = ff_layout_get_mirror_cred(mirror, lseg->pls_range.iomode);
+               if (!cred)
+                       cred = get_rpccred(mdscred);
+       } else {
+               cred = get_rpccred(mdscred);
+       }
        return cred;
 }