diff --git a/include/linux/sunrpc/bc_xprt.h b/include/linux/sunrpc/bc_xprt.h
index 6508f0dc0eff..d7152b451e21 100644
--- a/include/linux/sunrpc/bc_xprt.h
+++ b/include/linux/sunrpc/bc_xprt.h
@@ -38,12 +38,27 @@ int xprt_setup_backchannel(struct rpc_xprt *, unsigned int min_reqs);
 void xprt_destroy_backchannel(struct rpc_xprt *, int max_reqs);
 void bc_release_request(struct rpc_task *);
 int bc_send(struct rpc_rqst *req);
+
+/*
+ * Determine if a shared backchannel is in use
+ */
+static inline int svc_is_backchannel(const struct svc_rqst *rqstp)
+{
+	if (rqstp->rq_server->bc_xprt)
+		return 1;
+	return 0;
+}
 #else /* CONFIG_NFS_V4_1 */
 static inline int xprt_setup_backchannel(struct rpc_xprt *xprt,
 					 unsigned int min_reqs)
 {
 	return 0;
 }
+
+static inline int svc_is_backchannel(const struct svc_rqst *rqstp)
+{
+	return 0;
+}
 #endif /* CONFIG_NFS_V4_1 */
 #endif /* _LINUX_SUNRPC_BC_XPRT_H */
 
diff --git a/net/sunrpc/svc.c b/net/sunrpc/svc.c
index 538ca433a56c..6dcf8c9c784c 100644
--- a/net/sunrpc/svc.c
+++ b/net/sunrpc/svc.c
@@ -506,6 +506,10 @@ svc_init_buffer(struct svc_rqst *rqstp, unsigned int size)
 {
 	unsigned int pages, arghi;
 
+	/* bc_xprt uses fore channel allocated buffers */
+	if (svc_is_backchannel(rqstp))
+		return 1;
+
 	pages = size / PAGE_SIZE + 1; /* extra page as we hold both request and reply.
 				       * We assume one is at most one page
 				       */