diff --git a/fs/dlm/plock.c b/fs/dlm/plock.c
index 78878c5781c..eba87ff3177 100644
--- a/fs/dlm/plock.c
+++ b/fs/dlm/plock.c
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ int dlm_posix_lock(dlm_lockspace_t *lockspace, u64 number, struct file *file,
 	if (xop->callback == NULL)
 		wait_event(recv_wq, (op->done != 0));
 	else {
-		rv = -EINPROGRESS;
+		rv = FILE_LOCK_DEFERRED;
 		goto out;
 	}
 
diff --git a/fs/lockd/svclock.c b/fs/lockd/svclock.c
index 821b9acdfb6..cf0d5c2c318 100644
--- a/fs/lockd/svclock.c
+++ b/fs/lockd/svclock.c
@@ -418,8 +418,8 @@ nlmsvc_lock(struct svc_rqst *rqstp, struct nlm_file *file,
 			goto out;
 		case -EAGAIN:
 			ret = nlm_lck_denied;
-			break;
-		case -EINPROGRESS:
+			goto out;
+		case FILE_LOCK_DEFERRED:
 			if (wait)
 				break;
 			/* Filesystem lock operation is in progress
@@ -434,10 +434,6 @@ nlmsvc_lock(struct svc_rqst *rqstp, struct nlm_file *file,
 			goto out;
 	}
 
-	ret = nlm_lck_denied;
-	if (!wait)
-		goto out;
-
 	ret = nlm_lck_blocked;
 
 	/* Append to list of blocked */
@@ -507,7 +503,7 @@ nlmsvc_testlock(struct svc_rqst *rqstp, struct nlm_file *file,
 	}
 
 	error = vfs_test_lock(file->f_file, &lock->fl);
-	if (error == -EINPROGRESS) {
+	if (error == FILE_LOCK_DEFERRED) {
 		ret = nlmsvc_defer_lock_rqst(rqstp, block);
 		goto out;
 	}
@@ -731,8 +727,7 @@ nlmsvc_grant_blocked(struct nlm_block *block)
 	switch (error) {
 	case 0:
 		break;
-	case -EAGAIN:
-	case -EINPROGRESS:
+	case FILE_LOCK_DEFERRED:
 		dprintk("lockd: lock still blocked error %d\n", error);
 		nlmsvc_insert_block(block, NLM_NEVER);
 		nlmsvc_release_block(block);
diff --git a/fs/locks.c b/fs/locks.c
index dce8c747371..1ce57b4b362 100644
--- a/fs/locks.c
+++ b/fs/locks.c
@@ -779,8 +779,10 @@ find_conflict:
 		if (!flock_locks_conflict(request, fl))
 			continue;
 		error = -EAGAIN;
-		if (request->fl_flags & FL_SLEEP)
-			locks_insert_block(fl, request);
+		if (!(request->fl_flags & FL_SLEEP))
+			goto out;
+		error = FILE_LOCK_DEFERRED;
+		locks_insert_block(fl, request);
 		goto out;
 	}
 	if (request->fl_flags & FL_ACCESS)
@@ -836,7 +838,7 @@ static int __posix_lock_file(struct inode *inode, struct file_lock *request, str
 			error = -EDEADLK;
 			if (posix_locks_deadlock(request, fl))
 				goto out;
-			error = -EAGAIN;
+			error = FILE_LOCK_DEFERRED;
 			locks_insert_block(fl, request);
 			goto out;
   		}
@@ -1035,7 +1037,7 @@ int posix_lock_file_wait(struct file *filp, struct file_lock *fl)
 	might_sleep ();
 	for (;;) {
 		error = posix_lock_file(filp, fl, NULL);
-		if ((error != -EAGAIN) || !(fl->fl_flags & FL_SLEEP))
+		if (error != FILE_LOCK_DEFERRED)
 			break;
 		error = wait_event_interruptible(fl->fl_wait, !fl->fl_next);
 		if (!error)
@@ -1107,9 +1109,7 @@ int locks_mandatory_area(int read_write, struct inode *inode,
 
 	for (;;) {
 		error = __posix_lock_file(inode, &fl, NULL);
-		if (error != -EAGAIN)
-			break;
-		if (!(fl.fl_flags & FL_SLEEP))
+		if (error != FILE_LOCK_DEFERRED)
 			break;
 		error = wait_event_interruptible(fl.fl_wait, !fl.fl_next);
 		if (!error) {
@@ -1531,7 +1531,7 @@ int flock_lock_file_wait(struct file *filp, struct file_lock *fl)
 	might_sleep();
 	for (;;) {
 		error = flock_lock_file(filp, fl);
-		if ((error != -EAGAIN) || !(fl->fl_flags & FL_SLEEP))
+		if (error != FILE_LOCK_DEFERRED)
 			break;
 		error = wait_event_interruptible(fl->fl_wait, !fl->fl_next);
 		if (!error)
@@ -1716,17 +1716,17 @@ out:
  * fl_grant is set. Callers expecting ->lock() to return asynchronously
  * will only use F_SETLK, not F_SETLKW; they will set FL_SLEEP if (and only if)
  * the request is for a blocking lock. When ->lock() does return asynchronously,
- * it must return -EINPROGRESS, and call ->fl_grant() when the lock
+ * it must return FILE_LOCK_DEFERRED, and call ->fl_grant() when the lock
  * request completes.
  * If the request is for non-blocking lock the file system should return
- * -EINPROGRESS then try to get the lock and call the callback routine with
- * the result. If the request timed out the callback routine will return a
+ * FILE_LOCK_DEFERRED then try to get the lock and call the callback routine
+ * with the result. If the request timed out the callback routine will return a
  * nonzero return code and the file system should release the lock. The file
  * system is also responsible to keep a corresponding posix lock when it
  * grants a lock so the VFS can find out which locks are locally held and do
  * the correct lock cleanup when required.
  * The underlying filesystem must not drop the kernel lock or call
- * ->fl_grant() before returning to the caller with a -EINPROGRESS
+ * ->fl_grant() before returning to the caller with a FILE_LOCK_DEFERRED
  * return code.
  */
 int vfs_lock_file(struct file *filp, unsigned int cmd, struct file_lock *fl, struct file_lock *conf)
@@ -1804,7 +1804,7 @@ again:
 	else {
 		for (;;) {
 			error = posix_lock_file(filp, file_lock, NULL);
-			if (error != -EAGAIN || cmd == F_SETLK)
+			if (error != FILE_LOCK_DEFERRED)
 				break;
 			error = wait_event_interruptible(file_lock->fl_wait,
 					!file_lock->fl_next);
@@ -1941,7 +1941,7 @@ again:
 	else {
 		for (;;) {
 			error = posix_lock_file(filp, file_lock, NULL);
-			if (error != -EAGAIN || cmd == F_SETLK64)
+			if (error != FILE_LOCK_DEFERRED)
 				break;
 			error = wait_event_interruptible(file_lock->fl_wait,
 					!file_lock->fl_next);
diff --git a/include/linux/fs.h b/include/linux/fs.h
index 4b86f806014..49d8eb7a71b 100644
--- a/include/linux/fs.h
+++ b/include/linux/fs.h
@@ -885,6 +885,12 @@ static inline int file_check_writeable(struct file *filp)
 #define FL_CLOSE	64	/* unlock on close */
 #define FL_SLEEP	128	/* A blocking lock */
 
+/*
+ * Special return value from posix_lock_file() and vfs_lock_file() for
+ * asynchronous locking.
+ */
+#define FILE_LOCK_DEFERRED 1
+
 /*
  * The POSIX file lock owner is determined by
  * the "struct files_struct" in the thread group