diff --git a/net/mptcp/protocol.c b/net/mptcp/protocol.c
index b6dc6e260334f5..1dbc6253725954 100644
--- a/net/mptcp/protocol.c
+++ b/net/mptcp/protocol.c
@@ -2354,12 +2354,7 @@ static void __mptcp_close_ssk(struct sock *sk, struct sock *ssk,
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	/* if we are invoked by the msk cleanup code, the subflow is
-	 * already orphaned
-	 */
-	if (ssk->sk_socket)
-		sock_orphan(ssk);
-
+	sock_orphan(ssk);
 	subflow->disposable = 1;
 
 	/* if ssk hit tcp_done(), tcp_cleanup_ulp() cleared the related ops
@@ -2940,7 +2935,11 @@ bool __mptcp_close(struct sock *sk, long timeout)
 		if (ssk == msk->first)
 			subflow->fail_tout = 0;
 
-		sock_orphan(ssk);
+		/* detach from the parent socket, but allow data_ready to
+		 * push incoming data into the mptcp stack, to properly ack it
+		 */
+		ssk->sk_socket = NULL;
+		ssk->sk_wq = NULL;
 		unlock_sock_fast(ssk, slow);
 	}
 	sock_orphan(sk);