diff --git a/src/mds/MDS.cc b/src/mds/MDS.cc
index 202030ca984..c80ad82fb70 100644
--- a/src/mds/MDS.cc
+++ b/src/mds/MDS.cc
@@ -2032,15 +2032,27 @@ bool MDS::ms_verify_authorizer(Connection *con, int peer_type,
       s = new Session;
       s->inst.addr = con->get_peer_addr();
       s->inst.name = n;
-      dout(10) << " new session " << s << " for " << s->inst << dendl;
+      dout(10) << " new session " << s << " for " << s->inst << " con " << con << dendl;
       con->set_priv(s);
       s->connection = con;
       sessionmap.add_session(s);
     } else {
-      dout(10) << " existing session " << s << " for " << s->inst << dendl;
+      dout(10) << " existing session " << s << " for " << s->inst << " existing con " << s->connection
+	       << ", new/authorizing con " << con << dendl;
       con->set_priv(s->get());
-      s->connection = con;
-   }
+
+      // Wait until we fully accept the connection before setting
+      // s->connection.  In particular, if there are multiple incoming
+      // connection attempts, they will all get their authorizer
+      // validated, but some of them may "lose the race" and get
+      // dropped.  We only want to consider the winner(s).  See
+      // ms_handle_accept().  This is important for Sessions we replay
+      // from the journal on recovery that don't have established
+      // messenger state; we want the con from only the winning
+      // connect attempt(s).  (Normal reconnects that don't follow MDS
+      // recovery are reconnected to the existing con by the
+      // messenger.)
+    }
 
     /*
     s->caps.set_allow_all(caps_info.allow_all);
@@ -2057,3 +2069,15 @@ bool MDS::ms_verify_authorizer(Connection *con, int peer_type,
 };
 
 
+void MDS::ms_handle_accept(Connection *con)
+{
+  Session *s = (Session *)con->get_priv();
+  dout(10) << "ms_handle_accept " << con->get_peer_addr() << " con " << con << " session " << s << dendl;
+  if (s) {
+    s->put();
+    if (s->connection != con) {
+      dout(10) << " session connection " << s->connection << " -> " << con << dendl;
+      s->connection = con;
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/mds/MDS.h b/src/mds/MDS.h
index 67a51028d9c..0d7383b2d04 100644
--- a/src/mds/MDS.h
+++ b/src/mds/MDS.h
@@ -315,6 +315,7 @@ class MDS : public Dispatcher {
   bool ms_verify_authorizer(Connection *con, int peer_type,
 			       int protocol, bufferlist& authorizer_data, bufferlist& authorizer_reply,
 			       bool& isvalid);
+  void ms_handle_accept(Connection *con);
   void ms_handle_connect(Connection *con);
   bool ms_handle_reset(Connection *con);
   void ms_handle_remote_reset(Connection *con);