diff --git a/io_uring/io_uring.c b/io_uring/io_uring.c
index 8ffe0c9a4e29..e9c65cf0cc51 100644
--- a/io_uring/io_uring.c
+++ b/io_uring/io_uring.c
@@ -474,9 +474,9 @@ unsigned io_linked_nr(struct io_kiocb *req)
 	return nr;
 }
 
-static __cold noinline void io_queue_deferred(struct io_ring_ctx *ctx)
+static __cold noinline bool io_queue_deferred(struct io_ring_ctx *ctx)
 {
-	bool drain_seen = false, first = true;
+	bool drain_seen = false, first = true, drain_queued = false;
 
 	lockdep_assert_held(&ctx->uring_lock);
 	__io_req_caches_free(ctx);
@@ -490,17 +490,21 @@ static __cold noinline void io_queue_deferred(struct io_ring_ctx *ctx)
 
 		drain_seen |= de->req->flags & REQ_F_IO_DRAIN;
 		if ((drain_seen || first) && ctx->nr_req_allocated != ctx->nr_drained)
-			return;
+			return drain_queued;
 
 		list_del_init(&de->list);
 		ctx->nr_drained -= io_linked_nr(de->req);
-		/* it runs alone, track its completion unless it's a link */
-		if ((de->req->flags & REQ_F_IO_DRAIN) && !de->req->link)
-			ctx->drain_req = de->req;
+		if (de->req->flags & REQ_F_IO_DRAIN) {
+			drain_queued = true;
+			/* it runs alone, track its completion unless it's a link */
+			if (!de->req->link)
+				ctx->drain_req = de->req;
+		}
 		io_req_task_queue(de->req);
 		kfree(de);
 		first = false;
 	}
+	return drain_queued;
 }
 
 void __io_commit_cqring_flush(struct io_ring_ctx *ctx)
@@ -1263,7 +1267,9 @@ void __io_submit_flush_completions(struct io_ring_ctx *ctx)
 	}
 
 	if (unlikely(ctx->int_flags & IO_RING_F_DRAIN_ACTIVE)) {
-		io_queue_deferred(ctx);
+		/* a drain request started from the list keeps the drain going */
+		if (io_queue_deferred(ctx))
+			drain_done = false;
 		if (drain_done && list_empty(&ctx->defer_list))
 			ctx->int_flags &= ~IO_RING_F_DRAIN_ACTIVE;
 	}