diff --git a/fs/nfsd/nfssvc.c b/fs/nfsd/nfssvc.c
index e3f647efc4c7..1e2570e3c754 100644
--- a/fs/nfsd/nfssvc.c
+++ b/fs/nfsd/nfssvc.c
@@ -882,9 +882,11 @@ static int
 nfsd(void *vrqstp)
 {
 	struct svc_rqst *rqstp = (struct svc_rqst *) vrqstp;
+	struct svc_pool *pool = rqstp->rq_pool;
 	struct svc_xprt *perm_sock = list_entry(rqstp->rq_server->sv_permsocks.next, typeof(struct svc_xprt), xpt_list);
 	struct net *net = perm_sock->xpt_net;
 	struct nfsd_net *nn = net_generic(net, nfsd_net_id);
+	bool have_mutex = false;
 
 	/* At this point, the thread shares current->fs
 	 * with the init process. We need to create files with the
@@ -902,7 +904,44 @@ nfsd(void *vrqstp)
 	 * The main request loop
 	 */
 	while (!svc_thread_should_stop(rqstp)) {
-		svc_recv(rqstp, 0);
+		switch (svc_recv(rqstp, 5 * HZ)) {
+		case -ETIMEDOUT:
+			/* No work arrived within the timeout window */
+			if (mutex_trylock(&nfsd_mutex)) {
+				if (pool->sp_nrthreads > pool->sp_nrthrmin) {
+					trace_nfsd_dynthread_kill(net, pool);
+					set_bit(RQ_VICTIM, &rqstp->rq_flags);
+					have_mutex = true;
+				} else {
+					mutex_unlock(&nfsd_mutex);
+				}
+			} else {
+				trace_nfsd_dynthread_trylock_fail(net, pool);
+			}
+			break;
+		case -EBUSY:
+			/* No idle threads; consider spawning another */
+			if (pool->sp_nrthreads < pool->sp_nrthrmax) {
+				if (mutex_trylock(&nfsd_mutex)) {
+					if (pool->sp_nrthreads < pool->sp_nrthrmax) {
+						int ret;
+
+						trace_nfsd_dynthread_start(net, pool);
+						ret = svc_new_thread(rqstp->rq_server, pool);
+						if (ret)
+							pr_notice_ratelimited("%s: unable to spawn new thread: %d\n",
+									      __func__, ret);
+					}
+					mutex_unlock(&nfsd_mutex);
+				} else {
+					trace_nfsd_dynthread_trylock_fail(net, pool);
+				}
+			}
+			clear_bit(SP_TASK_STARTING, &pool->sp_flags);
+			break;
+		default:
+			break;
+		}
 		nfsd_file_net_dispose(nn);
 	}
 
@@ -910,6 +949,8 @@ nfsd(void *vrqstp)
 
 	/* Release the thread */
 	svc_exit_thread(rqstp);
+	if (have_mutex)
+		mutex_unlock(&nfsd_mutex);
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/fs/nfsd/trace.h b/fs/nfsd/trace.h
index 5ae2a611e57f..8885fd9bead9 100644
--- a/fs/nfsd/trace.h
+++ b/fs/nfsd/trace.h
@@ -91,6 +91,41 @@ DEFINE_EVENT(nfsd_xdr_err_class, nfsd_##name##_err, \
 DEFINE_NFSD_XDR_ERR_EVENT(garbage_args);
 DEFINE_NFSD_XDR_ERR_EVENT(cant_encode);
 
+DECLARE_EVENT_CLASS(nfsd_dynthread_class,
+	TP_PROTO(
+		const struct net *net,
+		const struct svc_pool *pool
+	),
+	TP_ARGS(net, pool),
+	TP_STRUCT__entry(
+		__field(unsigned int, netns_ino)
+		__field(unsigned int, pool_id)
+		__field(unsigned int, nrthreads)
+		__field(unsigned int, nrthrmin)
+		__field(unsigned int, nrthrmax)
+	),
+	TP_fast_assign(
+		__entry->netns_ino = net->ns.inum;
+		__entry->pool_id = pool->sp_id;
+		__entry->nrthreads = pool->sp_nrthreads;
+		__entry->nrthrmin = pool->sp_nrthrmin;
+		__entry->nrthrmax = pool->sp_nrthrmax;
+	),
+	TP_printk("pool=%u nrthreads=%u nrthrmin=%u nrthrmax=%u",
+		__entry->pool_id, __entry->nrthreads,
+		__entry->nrthrmin, __entry->nrthrmax
+	)
+);
+
+#define DEFINE_NFSD_DYNTHREAD_EVENT(name) \
+DEFINE_EVENT(nfsd_dynthread_class, nfsd_dynthread_##name, \
+	TP_PROTO(const struct net *net, const struct svc_pool *pool), \
+	TP_ARGS(net, pool))
+
+DEFINE_NFSD_DYNTHREAD_EVENT(start);
+DEFINE_NFSD_DYNTHREAD_EVENT(kill);
+DEFINE_NFSD_DYNTHREAD_EVENT(trylock_fail);
+
 #define show_nfsd_may_flags(x)						\
 	__print_flags(x, "|",						\
 		{ NFSD_MAY_EXEC,		"EXEC" },		\