diff --git a/block/mq-deadline.c b/block/mq-deadline.c
index a63b8303c0bf..fe23abf8c988 100644
--- a/block/mq-deadline.c
+++ b/block/mq-deadline.c
@@ -274,7 +274,6 @@ deadline_next_request(struct deadline_data *dd, int data_dir)
 static struct request *__dd_dispatch_request(struct deadline_data *dd)
 {
 	struct request *rq, *next_rq;
-	bool reads, writes;
 	int data_dir;
 
 	lockdep_assert_held(&dd->lock);
@@ -285,9 +284,6 @@ static struct request *__dd_dispatch_request(struct deadline_data *dd)
 		goto done;
 	}
 
-	reads = !list_empty(&dd->fifo_list[READ]);
-	writes = !list_empty(&dd->fifo_list[WRITE]);
-
 	/*
 	 * batches are currently reads XOR writes
 	 */
@@ -304,7 +300,7 @@ static struct request *__dd_dispatch_request(struct deadline_data *dd)
 	 * data direction (read / write)
 	 */
 
-	if (reads) {
+	if (!list_empty(&dd->fifo_list[READ])) {
 		BUG_ON(RB_EMPTY_ROOT(&dd->sort_list[READ]));
 
 		if (deadline_fifo_request(dd, WRITE) &&
@@ -320,7 +316,7 @@ static struct request *__dd_dispatch_request(struct deadline_data *dd)
 	 * there are either no reads or writes have been starved
 	 */
 
-	if (writes) {
+	if (!list_empty(&dd->fifo_list[WRITE])) {
 dispatch_writes:
 		BUG_ON(RB_EMPTY_ROOT(&dd->sort_list[WRITE]));