diff --git a/fs/nfs/direct.c b/fs/nfs/direct.c
index 651387bbfd9f..eb814789f700 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/direct.c
+++ b/fs/nfs/direct.c
@@ -222,7 +222,11 @@ static int nfs_direct_cmp_commit_data_verf(struct nfs_direct_req *dreq,
 
 	verfp = nfs_direct_select_verf(dreq, data->ds_clp,
 					 data->ds_commit_index);
-	WARN_ON_ONCE(verfp->committed < 0);
+
+	/* verifier not set so always fail */
+	if (verfp->committed < 0)
+		return 1;
+
 	return memcmp(verfp, &data->verf, sizeof(struct nfs_writeverf));
 }