[PATCH net-next 2/3] tcp: keep scaled no-shrink window representable

From: Wesley Atwell

Date: Tue Mar 17 2026 - 02:54:58 EST


In the scaled no-shrink path, __tcp_select_window() currently rounds the
raw free-space value up to the receive-window scale quantum.

That can expose fresh sender-visible credit beyond the currently backed
free space.

Fix this without changing the meaning of the stored receive-window
state. Keep tp->rcv_wnd representable in scaled units by rounding larger
windows down to the scale quantum and preserving only the small
non-zero case that would otherwise scale away to zero.

tcp_select_window() already preserves the no-shrink guarantee from the
currently offered window, so later no-shrink decisions continue to
reason from a right edge the peer actually saw on the wire.

This removes the larger-window quantization slack from rounding
free_space up, while preserving the small non-zero case needed to avoid
scaling away to zero.

Signed-off-by: Wesley Atwell <atwellwea@xxxxxxxxx>
---
net/ipv4/tcp_output.c | 16 +++++++++++-----
1 file changed, 11 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

diff --git a/net/ipv4/tcp_output.c b/net/ipv4/tcp_output.c
index 35c3b0ab5a0cb714155d5720fe56888f71aecced..bd3a43148a87e891bc632a47ffb5b82c475e8f6f 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/tcp_output.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/tcp_output.c
@@ -3375,13 +3375,19 @@ u32 __tcp_select_window(struct sock *sk)
* scaled window will not line up with the MSS boundary anyway.
*/
if (tp->rx_opt.rcv_wscale) {
- window = free_space;
+ u32 gran = 1U << tp->rx_opt.rcv_wscale;

- /* Advertise enough space so that it won't get scaled away.
- * Import case: prevent zero window announcement if
- * 1<<rcv_wscale > mss.
+ /* Keep tp->rcv_wnd representable in scaled units so later
+ * no-shrink decisions reason about the same right edge we
+ * can advertise on the wire. Preserve only a small non-zero
+ * offer that would otherwise get scaled away to zero.
*/
- window = ALIGN(window, (1 << tp->rx_opt.rcv_wscale));
+ if (free_space >= gran)
+ window = round_down(free_space, gran);
+ else if (free_space > 0)
+ window = gran;
+ else
+ window = 0;
} else {
window = tp->rcv_wnd;
/* Get the largest window that is a nice multiple of mss.
--
2.43.0