diff --git a/net/vmw_vsock/af_vsock.c b/net/vmw_vsock/af_vsock.c
index 2e30bf197583..2a4613b239e0 100644
--- a/net/vmw_vsock/af_vsock.c
+++ b/net/vmw_vsock/af_vsock.c
@@ -641,7 +641,7 @@ struct sock *__vsock_create(struct net *net,
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(__vsock_create);
 
-static void __vsock_release(struct sock *sk)
+static void __vsock_release(struct sock *sk, int level)
 {
 	if (sk) {
 		struct sk_buff *skb;
@@ -651,9 +651,17 @@ static void __vsock_release(struct sock *sk)
 		vsk = vsock_sk(sk);
 		pending = NULL;	/* Compiler warning. */
 
+		/* The release call is supposed to use lock_sock_nested()
+		 * rather than lock_sock(), if a sock lock should be acquired.
+		 */
 		transport->release(vsk);
 
-		lock_sock(sk);
+		/* When "level" is SINGLE_DEPTH_NESTING, use the nested
+		 * version to avoid the warning "possible recursive locking
+		 * detected". When "level" is 0, lock_sock_nested(sk, level)
+		 * is the same as lock_sock(sk).
+		 */
+		lock_sock_nested(sk, level);
 		sock_orphan(sk);
 		sk->sk_shutdown = SHUTDOWN_MASK;
 
@@ -662,7 +670,7 @@ static void __vsock_release(struct sock *sk)
 
 		/* Clean up any sockets that never were accepted. */
 		while ((pending = vsock_dequeue_accept(sk)) != NULL) {
-			__vsock_release(pending);
+			__vsock_release(pending, SINGLE_DEPTH_NESTING);
 			sock_put(pending);
 		}
 
@@ -711,7 +719,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(vsock_stream_has_space);
 
 static int vsock_release(struct socket *sock)
 {
-	__vsock_release(sock->sk);
+	__vsock_release(sock->sk, 0);
 	sock->sk = NULL;
 	sock->state = SS_FREE;
 
diff --git a/net/vmw_vsock/hyperv_transport.c b/net/vmw_vsock/hyperv_transport.c
index 98f193fd5315..70350dc67366 100644
--- a/net/vmw_vsock/hyperv_transport.c
+++ b/net/vmw_vsock/hyperv_transport.c
@@ -538,7 +538,7 @@ static void hvs_release(struct vsock_sock *vsk)
 	struct sock *sk = sk_vsock(vsk);
 	bool remove_sock;
 
-	lock_sock(sk);
+	lock_sock_nested(sk, SINGLE_DEPTH_NESTING);
 	remove_sock = hvs_close_lock_held(vsk);
 	release_sock(sk);
 	if (remove_sock)
diff --git a/net/vmw_vsock/virtio_transport_common.c b/net/vmw_vsock/virtio_transport_common.c
index e30f53728725..3c199f752fd3 100644
--- a/net/vmw_vsock/virtio_transport_common.c
+++ b/net/vmw_vsock/virtio_transport_common.c
@@ -791,7 +791,7 @@ void virtio_transport_release(struct vsock_sock *vsk)
 	struct sock *sk = &vsk->sk;
 	bool remove_sock = true;
 
-	lock_sock(sk);
+	lock_sock_nested(sk, SINGLE_DEPTH_NESTING);
 	if (sk->sk_type == SOCK_STREAM)
 		remove_sock = virtio_transport_close(vsk);