bool congested = false;
        enum drbd_on_congestion on_congestion;
 
+       rcu_read_lock();
        nc = rcu_dereference(tconn->net_conf);
        on_congestion = nc ? nc->on_congestion : OC_BLOCK;
+       rcu_read_unlock();
        if (on_congestion == OC_BLOCK ||
            tconn->agreed_pro_version < 96)
                return;
        struct drbd_conf *mdev = req->w.mdev;
        int remote, send_oos;
 
-       rcu_read_lock();
        remote = drbd_should_do_remote(mdev->state);
-       if (remote) {
-               maybe_pull_ahead(mdev);
-               remote = drbd_should_do_remote(mdev->state);
-       }
        send_oos = drbd_should_send_out_of_sync(mdev->state);
-       rcu_read_unlock();
 
        /* Need to replicate writes.  Unless it is an empty flush,
         * which is better mapped to a DRBD P_BARRIER packet,
                 * but will re-aquire it before it returns here.
                 * Needs to be before the check on drbd_suspended() */
                complete_conflicting_writes(req);
+               /* no more giving up req_lock from now on! */
+
+               /* check for congestion, and potentially stop sending
+                * full data updates, but start sending "dirty bits" only. */
+               maybe_pull_ahead(mdev);
        }
 
-       /* no more giving up req_lock from now on! */
 
        if (drbd_suspended(mdev)) {
                /* push back and retry: */