diff --git a/net/vmw_vsock/af_vsock.c b/net/vmw_vsock/af_vsock.c
index 075695173648..53a081d49d28 100644
--- a/net/vmw_vsock/af_vsock.c
+++ b/net/vmw_vsock/af_vsock.c
@@ -824,13 +824,19 @@ static void __vsock_release(struct sock *sk, int level)
 	 */
 	lock_sock_nested(sk, level);
 
-	sock_orphan(sk);
+	/* Indicate to vsock_remove_sock() that the socket is being released and
+	 * can be removed from the bound_table. Unlike transport reassignment
+	 * case, where the socket must remain bound despite vsock_remove_sock()
+	 * being called from the transport release() callback.
+	 */
+	sock_set_flag(sk, SOCK_DEAD);
 
 	if (vsk->transport)
 		vsk->transport->release(vsk);
 	else if (sock_type_connectible(sk->sk_type))
 		vsock_remove_sock(vsk);
 
+	sock_orphan(sk);
 	sk->sk_shutdown = SHUTDOWN_MASK;
 
 	skb_queue_purge(&sk->sk_receive_queue);
diff --git a/tools/testing/vsock/vsock_test.c b/tools/testing/vsock/vsock_test.c
index dfff8b288265..d0f6d253ac72 100644
--- a/tools/testing/vsock/vsock_test.c
+++ b/tools/testing/vsock/vsock_test.c
@@ -1788,6 +1788,42 @@ static void test_stream_connect_retry_server(const struct test_opts *opts)
 	close(fd);
 }
 
+static void test_stream_linger_client(const struct test_opts *opts)
+{
+	struct linger optval = {
+		.l_onoff = 1,
+		.l_linger = 1
+	};
+	int fd;
+
+	fd = vsock_stream_connect(opts->peer_cid, opts->peer_port);
+	if (fd < 0) {
+		perror("connect");
+		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+	}
+
+	if (setsockopt(fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_LINGER, &optval, sizeof(optval))) {
+		perror("setsockopt(SO_LINGER)");
+		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+	}
+
+	close(fd);
+}
+
+static void test_stream_linger_server(const struct test_opts *opts)
+{
+	int fd;
+
+	fd = vsock_stream_accept(VMADDR_CID_ANY, opts->peer_port, NULL);
+	if (fd < 0) {
+		perror("accept");
+		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+	}
+
+	vsock_wait_remote_close(fd);
+	close(fd);
+}
+
 static struct test_case test_cases[] = {
 	{
 		.name = "SOCK_STREAM connection reset",
@@ -1943,6 +1979,11 @@ static struct test_case test_cases[] = {
 		.run_client = test_stream_connect_retry_client,
 		.run_server = test_stream_connect_retry_server,
 	},
+	{
+		.name = "SOCK_STREAM SO_LINGER null-ptr-deref",
+		.run_client = test_stream_linger_client,
+		.run_server = test_stream_linger_server,
+	},
 	{},
 };