diff --git a/src/mds/Server.cc b/src/mds/Server.cc
index e7ef6251d84..1b046b90a81 100644
--- a/src/mds/Server.cc
+++ b/src/mds/Server.cc
@@ -571,6 +571,8 @@ void Server::terminate_sessions()
 {
   dout(2) << "terminate_sessions" << dendl;
 
+  terminating_sessions = true;
+
   // kill them off.  clients will retry etc.
   set<Session*> sessions;
   mds->sessionmap.get_client_session_set(sessions);