diff --git a/fs/autofs4/waitq.c b/fs/autofs4/waitq.c
index 4ac49d038bf3..8fc41705c7cd 100644
--- a/fs/autofs4/waitq.c
+++ b/fs/autofs4/waitq.c
@@ -81,7 +81,8 @@ static int autofs4_write(struct autofs_sb_info *sbi,
 		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&current->sighand->siglock, flags);
 	}
 
-	return (bytes > 0);
+	/* if 'wr' returned 0 (impossible) we assume -EIO (safe) */
+	return bytes == 0 ? 0 : wr < 0 ? wr : -EIO;
 }
 
 static void autofs4_notify_daemon(struct autofs_sb_info *sbi,
@@ -95,6 +96,7 @@ static void autofs4_notify_daemon(struct autofs_sb_info *sbi,
 	} pkt;
 	struct file *pipe = NULL;
 	size_t pktsz;
+	int ret;
 
 	pr_debug("wait id = 0x%08lx, name = %.*s, type=%d\n",
 		 (unsigned long) wq->wait_queue_token,
@@ -169,7 +171,18 @@ static void autofs4_notify_daemon(struct autofs_sb_info *sbi,
 	mutex_unlock(&sbi->wq_mutex);
 
 	if (autofs4_write(sbi, pipe, &pkt, pktsz))
+	switch (ret = autofs4_write(sbi, pipe, &pkt, pktsz)) {
+	case 0:
+		break;
+	case -ENOMEM:
+	case -ERESTARTSYS:
+		/* Just fail this one */
+		autofs4_wait_release(sbi, wq->wait_queue_token, ret);
+		break;
+	default:
 		autofs4_catatonic_mode(sbi);
+		break;
+	}
 	fput(pipe);
 }