diff --git a/net/rds/ib_cm.c b/net/rds/ib_cm.c
index 0eeae0910f06..a1c3ad380ec8 100644
--- a/net/rds/ib_cm.c
+++ b/net/rds/ib_cm.c
@@ -734,8 +734,10 @@ int rds_ib_cm_handle_connect(struct rdma_cm_id *cm_id,
 
 	/* Check whether the remote protocol version matches ours. */
 	version = rds_ib_protocol_compatible(event, isv6);
-	if (!version)
+	if (!version) {
+		err = RDS_RDMA_REJ_INCOMPAT;
 		goto out;
+	}
 
 	dp = event->param.conn.private_data;
 	if (isv6) {
@@ -851,7 +853,7 @@ int rds_ib_cm_handle_connect(struct rdma_cm_id *cm_id,
 	if (conn)
 		mutex_unlock(&conn->c_cm_lock);
 	if (err)
-		rdma_reject(cm_id, NULL, 0);
+		rdma_reject(cm_id, &err, sizeof(int));
 	return destroy;
 }
 
diff --git a/net/rds/rdma_transport.c b/net/rds/rdma_transport.c
index 6b0f57c83a2a..63cbc6b8560c 100644
--- a/net/rds/rdma_transport.c
+++ b/net/rds/rdma_transport.c
@@ -51,6 +51,8 @@ static int rds_rdma_cm_event_handler_cmn(struct rdma_cm_id *cm_id,
 	struct rds_connection *conn = cm_id->context;
 	struct rds_transport *trans;
 	int ret = 0;
+	int *err;
+	u8 len;
 
 	rdsdebug("conn %p id %p handling event %u (%s)\n", conn, cm_id,
 		 event->event, rdma_event_msg(event->event));
@@ -106,8 +108,18 @@ static int rds_rdma_cm_event_handler_cmn(struct rdma_cm_id *cm_id,
 		break;
 
 	case RDMA_CM_EVENT_REJECTED:
+		if (!conn)
+			break;
+		err = (int *)rdma_consumer_reject_data(cm_id, event, &len);
+		if (!err || (err && ((*err) == RDS_RDMA_REJ_INCOMPAT))) {
+			pr_warn("RDS/RDMA: conn <%pI6c, %pI6c> rejected, dropping connection\n",
+				&conn->c_laddr, &conn->c_faddr);
+			conn->c_proposed_version = RDS_PROTOCOL_COMPAT_VERSION;
+			rds_conn_drop(conn);
+		}
 		rdsdebug("Connection rejected: %s\n",
 			 rdma_reject_msg(cm_id, event->status));
+		break;
 		/* FALLTHROUGH */
 	case RDMA_CM_EVENT_ADDR_ERROR:
 	case RDMA_CM_EVENT_ROUTE_ERROR:
diff --git a/net/rds/rdma_transport.h b/net/rds/rdma_transport.h
index 200d3134aaae..bfafd4a6d827 100644
--- a/net/rds/rdma_transport.h
+++ b/net/rds/rdma_transport.h
@@ -11,6 +11,12 @@
 
 #define RDS_RDMA_RESOLVE_TIMEOUT_MS     5000
 
+/* Below reject reason is for legacy interoperability issue with non-linux
+ * RDS endpoints where older version incompatibility is conveyed via value 1.
+ * For future version(s), proper encoded reject reason should be be used.
+ */
+#define RDS_RDMA_REJ_INCOMPAT		1
+
 int rds_rdma_conn_connect(struct rds_connection *conn);
 int rds_rdma_cm_event_handler(struct rdma_cm_id *cm_id,
 			      struct rdma_cm_event *event);