diff --git a/block/genhd.c b/block/genhd.c
index df2c3c69b467..e8ce0cabf392 100644
--- a/block/genhd.c
+++ b/block/genhd.c
@@ -1281,14 +1281,18 @@ static void disk_release(struct device *dev)
 	/*
 	 * To undo the all initialization from blk_mq_init_allocated_queue in
 	 * case of a probe failure where add_disk is never called we have to
-	 * call blk_mq_exit_queue here. We can't do this for the more common
-	 * teardown case (yet) as the tagset can be gone by the time the disk
-	 * is released once it was added.
+	 * call blk_mq_exit_queue here, after stopping the timer and work items
+	 * that I/O issued before add_disk may have left pending.  We can't do
+	 * this for the more common teardown case (yet) as the tagset can be
+	 * gone by the time the disk is released once it was added.
 	 */
 	if (queue_is_mq(disk->queue) &&
 	    test_bit(GD_OWNS_QUEUE, &disk->state) &&
-	    !test_bit(GD_ADDED, &disk->state))
+	    !test_bit(GD_ADDED, &disk->state)) {
+		blk_sync_queue(disk->queue);
+		blk_mq_cancel_work_sync(disk->queue);
 		blk_mq_exit_queue(disk->queue);
+	}
 
 	blkcg_exit_disk(disk);