diff --git a/net/mptcp/protocol.c b/net/mptcp/protocol.c
index e99ef1e67e95..b8357d7c6b3a 100644
--- a/net/mptcp/protocol.c
+++ b/net/mptcp/protocol.c
@@ -2045,7 +2045,8 @@ static void mptcp_rcv_space_adjust(struct mptcp_sock *msk, int copied)
 				slow = lock_sock_fast(ssk);
 				WRITE_ONCE(ssk->sk_rcvbuf, rcvbuf);
 				WRITE_ONCE(tcp_sk(ssk)->window_clamp, window_clamp);
-				tcp_cleanup_rbuf(ssk, 1);
+				if (tcp_can_send_ack(ssk))
+					tcp_cleanup_rbuf(ssk, 1);
 				unlock_sock_fast(ssk, slow);
 			}
 		}