diff --git a/net/smc/smc_core.c b/net/smc/smc_core.c
index 135949ef85b3..fb4327a81a0f 100644
--- a/net/smc/smc_core.c
+++ b/net/smc/smc_core.c
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ static void smcr_lgr_link_deactivate_all(struct smc_link_group *lgr)
 	for (i = 0; i < SMC_LINKS_PER_LGR_MAX; i++) {
 		struct smc_link *lnk = &lgr->lnk[i];
 
-		if (smc_link_usable(lnk))
+		if (smc_link_sendable(lnk))
 			lnk->state = SMC_LNK_INACTIVE;
 	}
 	wake_up_all(&lgr->llc_msg_waiter);
diff --git a/net/smc/smc_core.h b/net/smc/smc_core.h
index 4745a9a5a28f..9364d0f35cce 100644
--- a/net/smc/smc_core.h
+++ b/net/smc/smc_core.h
@@ -359,6 +359,12 @@ static inline bool smc_link_usable(struct smc_link *lnk)
 	return true;
 }
 
+static inline bool smc_link_sendable(struct smc_link *lnk)
+{
+	return smc_link_usable(lnk) &&
+		lnk->qp_attr.cur_qp_state == IB_QPS_RTS;
+}
+
 static inline bool smc_link_active(struct smc_link *lnk)
 {
 	return lnk->state == SMC_LNK_ACTIVE;
diff --git a/net/smc/smc_llc.c b/net/smc/smc_llc.c
index f1d323439a2a..ee1f0fdba085 100644
--- a/net/smc/smc_llc.c
+++ b/net/smc/smc_llc.c
@@ -1358,7 +1358,7 @@ void smc_llc_send_link_delete_all(struct smc_link_group *lgr, bool ord, u32 rsn)
 	delllc.reason = htonl(rsn);
 
 	for (i = 0; i < SMC_LINKS_PER_LGR_MAX; i++) {
-		if (!smc_link_usable(&lgr->lnk[i]))
+		if (!smc_link_sendable(&lgr->lnk[i]))
 			continue;
 		if (!smc_llc_send_message_wait(&lgr->lnk[i], &delllc))
 			break;
diff --git a/net/smc/smc_wr.c b/net/smc/smc_wr.c
index a71c9631f1ad..cae22d240e0a 100644
--- a/net/smc/smc_wr.c
+++ b/net/smc/smc_wr.c
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ void smc_wr_tx_cq_handler(struct ib_cq *ib_cq, void *cq_context)
 static inline int smc_wr_tx_get_free_slot_index(struct smc_link *link, u32 *idx)
 {
 	*idx = link->wr_tx_cnt;
-	if (!smc_link_usable(link))
+	if (!smc_link_sendable(link))
 		return -ENOLINK;
 	for_each_clear_bit(*idx, link->wr_tx_mask, link->wr_tx_cnt) {
 		if (!test_and_set_bit(*idx, link->wr_tx_mask))
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ int smc_wr_tx_get_free_slot(struct smc_link *link,
 	} else {
 		rc = wait_event_interruptible_timeout(
 			link->wr_tx_wait,
-			!smc_link_usable(link) ||
+			!smc_link_sendable(link) ||
 			lgr->terminating ||
 			(smc_wr_tx_get_free_slot_index(link, &idx) != -EBUSY),
 			SMC_WR_TX_WAIT_FREE_SLOT_TIME);
diff --git a/net/smc/smc_wr.h b/net/smc/smc_wr.h
index 2bc626f230a5..102d515757ee 100644
--- a/net/smc/smc_wr.h
+++ b/net/smc/smc_wr.h
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ static inline void smc_wr_tx_set_wr_id(atomic_long_t *wr_tx_id, long val)
 
 static inline bool smc_wr_tx_link_hold(struct smc_link *link)
 {
-	if (!smc_link_usable(link))
+	if (!smc_link_sendable(link))
 		return false;
 	atomic_inc(&link->wr_tx_refcnt);
 	return true;