diff --git a/fs/nfs/nfs4proc.c b/fs/nfs/nfs4proc.c
index 0b711227cfa5..288be08bda95 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/nfs4proc.c
+++ b/fs/nfs/nfs4proc.c
@@ -3211,7 +3211,9 @@ nfs4_proc_setattr(struct dentry *dentry, struct nfs_fattr *fattr,
 	struct nfs4_label *label = NULL;
 	int status;
 
-	if (pnfs_ld_layoutret_on_setattr(inode))
+	if (pnfs_ld_layoutret_on_setattr(inode) &&
+	    sattr->ia_valid & ATTR_SIZE &&
+	    sattr->ia_size < i_size_read(inode))
 		pnfs_commit_and_return_layout(inode);
 
 	nfs_fattr_init(fattr);
diff --git a/fs/nfs/pnfs.h b/fs/nfs/pnfs.h
index b10f12fc6818..693ce42ec683 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/pnfs.h
+++ b/fs/nfs/pnfs.h
@@ -69,7 +69,8 @@ enum {
 };
 
 enum layoutdriver_policy_flags {
-	/* Should the pNFS client commit and return the layout upon a setattr */
+	/* Should the pNFS client commit and return the layout upon truncate to
+	 * a smaller size */
 	PNFS_LAYOUTRET_ON_SETATTR	= 1 << 0,
 	PNFS_LAYOUTRET_ON_ERROR		= 1 << 1,
 	PNFS_READ_WHOLE_PAGE		= 1 << 2,