diff --git a/lib/rhashtable.c b/lib/rhashtable.c
index cebbcec877d7..cb577ca65fa9 100644
--- a/lib/rhashtable.c
+++ b/lib/rhashtable.c
@@ -459,8 +459,12 @@ static void rht_deferred_worker(struct work_struct *work)
 	else if (tbl->nest)
 		err = rhashtable_rehash_alloc(ht, tbl, tbl->size);
 
-	if (!err)
-		err = rhashtable_rehash_table(ht);
+	if (!err || err == -EEXIST) {
+		int nerr;
+
+		nerr = rhashtable_rehash_table(ht);
+		err = err ?: nerr;
+	}
 
 	mutex_unlock(&ht->mutex);