mid_receive_t *receive, mid_callback_t *callback,
                        mid_handle_t *handle, void *cbdata, const int flags,
                        const struct cifs_credits *exist_credits);
+extern struct TCP_Server_Info *cifs_pick_channel(struct cifs_ses *ses);
 extern int cifs_send_recv(const unsigned int xid, struct cifs_ses *ses,
                          struct smb_rqst *rqst, int *resp_buf_type,
                          const int flags, struct kvec *resp_iov);
 
        DeleteMidQEntry(mid);
 }
 
+/*
+ * Return a channel (master if none) of @ses that can be used to send
+ * regular requests.
+ *
+ * If we are currently binding a new channel (negprot/sess.setup),
+ * return the new incomplete channel.
+ */
+struct TCP_Server_Info *cifs_pick_channel(struct cifs_ses *ses)
+{
+       uint index = 0;
+
+       if (!ses)
+               return NULL;
+
+       if (!ses->binding) {
+               /* round robin */
+               if (ses->chan_count > 1) {
+                       index = (uint)atomic_inc_return(&ses->chan_seq);
+                       index %= ses->chan_count;
+               }
+               return ses->chans[index].server;
+       } else {
+               return cifs_ses_server(ses);
+       }
+}
+
 int
 compound_send_recv(const unsigned int xid, struct cifs_ses *ses,
                   const int flags, const int num_rqst, struct smb_rqst *rqst,
                return -EIO;
        }
 
-       if (!ses->binding) {
-               uint index = 0;
-
-               if (ses->chan_count > 1) {
-                       index = (uint)atomic_inc_return(&ses->chan_seq);
-                       index %= ses->chan_count;
-               }
-               server = ses->chans[index].server;
-       } else {
-               server = cifs_ses_server(ses);
-       }
+       server = cifs_pick_channel(ses);
 
        if (server->tcpStatus == CifsExiting)
                return -ENOENT;