if (tmpret >= 0) {
                // successfully sent and received
                ret = status;  // this is already a dlm_status
-               if (ret == DLM_RECOVERING) {
+               if (ret == DLM_REJECTED) {
                        mlog(ML_ERROR, "%s:%.*s: BUG.  this is a stale lockres "
                             "no longer owned by %u.  that node is coming back "
                             "up currently.\n", dlm->name, create.namelen,
 
        name = create->name;
        namelen = create->namelen;
-       status = DLM_RECOVERING;
+       status = DLM_REJECTED;
        if (!dlm_domain_fully_joined(dlm)) {
                mlog(ML_ERROR, "Domain %s not fully joined, but node %u is "
                     "sending a create_lock message for lock %.*s!\n",