diff --git a/net/sunrpc/xprtrdma/transport.c b/net/sunrpc/xprtrdma/transport.c
index bcb37b51adf658..10bb2b929c6d70 100644
--- a/net/sunrpc/xprtrdma/transport.c
+++ b/net/sunrpc/xprtrdma/transport.c
@@ -494,8 +494,7 @@ xprt_rdma_connect(struct rpc_xprt *xprt, struct rpc_task *task)
 		xprt_reconnect_backoff(xprt, RPCRDMA_INIT_REEST_TO);
 	}
 	trace_xprtrdma_op_connect(r_xprt, delay);
-	queue_delayed_work(xprtiod_workqueue, &r_xprt->rx_connect_worker,
-			   delay);
+	queue_delayed_work(system_long_wq, &r_xprt->rx_connect_worker, delay);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/net/sunrpc/xprtrdma/verbs.c b/net/sunrpc/xprtrdma/verbs.c
index 2fbe9aaeec349a..049c854b7b37dd 100644
--- a/net/sunrpc/xprtrdma/verbs.c
+++ b/net/sunrpc/xprtrdma/verbs.c
@@ -791,13 +791,9 @@ void rpcrdma_mrs_refresh(struct rpcrdma_xprt *r_xprt)
 	/* If there is no underlying connection, it's no use
 	 * to wake the refresh worker.
 	 */
-	if (ep->re_connect_status == 1) {
-		/* The work is scheduled on a WQ_MEM_RECLAIM
-		 * workqueue in order to prevent MR allocation
-		 * from recursing into NFS during direct reclaim.
-		 */
-		queue_work(xprtiod_workqueue, &buf->rb_refresh_worker);
-	}
+	if (ep->re_connect_status != 1)
+		return;
+	queue_work(system_highpri_wq, &buf->rb_refresh_worker);
 }
 
 /**