diff --git a/drivers/misc/mei/bus.c b/drivers/misc/mei/bus.c
index 45896f9..b724a67 100644
--- a/drivers/misc/mei/bus.c
+++ b/drivers/misc/mei/bus.c
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@
 	dev = cl->dev;
 
 	mutex_lock(&dev->device_lock);
-	if (cl->state != MEI_FILE_CONNECTED) {
+	if (!mei_cl_is_connected(cl)) {
 		rets = -ENODEV;
 		goto out;
 	}
@@ -474,7 +474,7 @@
 
 	mutex_lock(&dev->device_lock);
 
-	if (cl->state != MEI_FILE_CONNECTED) {
+	if (!mei_cl_is_connected(cl)) {
 		dev_err(dev->dev, "Already disconnected");
 		err = 0;
 		goto out;
diff --git a/drivers/misc/mei/client.c b/drivers/misc/mei/client.c
index e5aeb6f..1e99ef6 100644
--- a/drivers/misc/mei/client.c
+++ b/drivers/misc/mei/client.c
@@ -876,7 +876,7 @@
 			mei_secs_to_jiffies(MEI_CL_CONNECT_TIMEOUT));
 	mutex_lock(&dev->device_lock);
 
-	if (cl->state != MEI_FILE_CONNECTED) {
+	if (!mei_cl_is_connected(cl)) {
 		cl->state = MEI_FILE_DISCONNECTED;
 		/* something went really wrong */
 		if (!cl->status)
diff --git a/drivers/misc/mei/interrupt.c b/drivers/misc/mei/interrupt.c
index 3f23629..3f84d2e 100644
--- a/drivers/misc/mei/interrupt.c
+++ b/drivers/misc/mei/interrupt.c
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	if (cl->state != MEI_FILE_CONNECTED) {
+	if (!mei_cl_is_connected(cl)) {
 		cl_dbg(dev, cl, "not connected\n");
 		cb->status = -ENODEV;
 		goto out;
diff --git a/drivers/misc/mei/main.c b/drivers/misc/mei/main.c
index a1ec450..29fa88b 100644
--- a/drivers/misc/mei/main.c
+++ b/drivers/misc/mei/main.c
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@
 		rets = mei_amthif_release(dev, file);
 		goto out;
 	}
-	if (cl->state == MEI_FILE_CONNECTED) {
+	if (mei_cl_is_connected(cl)) {
 		cl->state = MEI_FILE_DISCONNECTING;
 		cl_dbg(dev, cl, "disconnecting\n");
 		rets = mei_cl_disconnect(cl);
@@ -309,9 +309,8 @@
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	if (cl->state != MEI_FILE_CONNECTED) {
-		dev_err(dev->dev, "host client = %d,  is not connected to ME client = %d",
-			cl->host_client_id, cl->me_client_id);
+	if (!mei_cl_is_connected(cl)) {
+		cl_err(dev, cl, "is not connected");
 		rets = -ENODEV;
 		goto out;
 	}
@@ -418,7 +417,7 @@
 	 */
 	if (uuid_le_cmp(data->in_client_uuid, mei_amthif_guid) == 0) {
 		dev_dbg(dev->dev, "FW Client is amthi\n");
-		if (dev->iamthif_cl.state != MEI_FILE_CONNECTED) {
+		if (!mei_cl_is_connected(&dev->iamthif_cl)) {
 			rets = -ENODEV;
 			goto end;
 		}
@@ -554,7 +553,9 @@
 
 	mutex_lock(&dev->device_lock);
 
-	if (!mei_cl_is_connected(cl)) {
+
+	if (dev->dev_state != MEI_DEV_ENABLED ||
+	    !mei_cl_is_connected(cl)) {
 		mask = POLLERR;
 		goto out;
 	}
diff --git a/drivers/misc/mei/wd.c b/drivers/misc/mei/wd.c
index ac1e6235..2725f86 100644
--- a/drivers/misc/mei/wd.c
+++ b/drivers/misc/mei/wd.c
@@ -160,9 +160,10 @@
  */
 int mei_wd_stop(struct mei_device *dev)
 {
+	struct mei_cl *cl = &dev->wd_cl;
 	int ret;
 
-	if (dev->wd_cl.state != MEI_FILE_CONNECTED ||
+	if (!mei_cl_is_connected(cl) ||
 	    dev->wd_state != MEI_WD_RUNNING)
 		return 0;
 
@@ -170,7 +171,7 @@
 
 	dev->wd_state = MEI_WD_STOPPING;
 
-	ret = mei_cl_flow_ctrl_creds(&dev->wd_cl);
+	ret = mei_cl_flow_ctrl_creds(cl);
 	if (ret < 0)
 		goto err;
 
@@ -211,13 +212,16 @@
  */
 static int mei_wd_ops_start(struct watchdog_device *wd_dev)
 {
-	int err = -ENODEV;
 	struct mei_device *dev;
+	struct mei_cl *cl;
+	int err = -ENODEV;
 
 	dev = watchdog_get_drvdata(wd_dev);
 	if (!dev)
 		return -ENODEV;
 
+	cl = &dev->wd_cl;
+
 	mutex_lock(&dev->device_lock);
 
 	if (dev->dev_state != MEI_DEV_ENABLED) {
@@ -226,8 +230,8 @@
 		goto end_unlock;
 	}
 
-	if (dev->wd_cl.state != MEI_FILE_CONNECTED)	{
-		dev_dbg(dev->dev, "MEI Driver is not connected to Watchdog Client\n");
+	if (!mei_cl_is_connected(cl)) {
+		cl_dbg(dev, cl, "MEI Driver is not connected to Watchdog Client\n");
 		goto end_unlock;
 	}
 
@@ -282,8 +286,8 @@
 
 	mutex_lock(&dev->device_lock);
 
-	if (cl->state != MEI_FILE_CONNECTED) {
-		dev_err(dev->dev, "wd: not connected.\n");
+	if (!mei_cl_is_connected(cl)) {
+		cl_err(dev, cl, "wd: not connected.\n");
 		ret = -ENODEV;
 		goto end;
 	}