diff --git a/io_uring/cancel.c b/io_uring/cancel.c
index 64eb4a993c00..290ce804c868 100644
--- a/io_uring/cancel.c
+++ b/io_uring/cancel.c
@@ -117,6 +117,8 @@ int io_try_cancel(struct io_uring_task *tctx, struct io_cancel_data *cd,
 	 */
 	if (!ret)
 		return 0;
+	if (ret == -EALREADY)
+		cd->running = true;
 
 	ret = io_poll_cancel(ctx, cd, issue_flags);
 	if (ret != -ENOENT)
@@ -180,6 +182,7 @@ static int __io_async_cancel(struct io_cancel_data *cd,
 	struct io_tctx_node *node;
 	int ret, nr = 0;
 
+	cd->running = false;
 	do {
 		ret = io_try_cancel(tctx, cd, issue_flags);
 		if (ret == -ENOENT)
@@ -204,7 +207,15 @@ static int __io_async_cancel(struct io_cancel_data *cd,
 	}
 	mutex_unlock(&ctx->tctx_lock);
 	io_ring_submit_unlock(ctx, issue_flags);
-	return all ? nr : ret;
+	if (all)
+		return nr;
+	/*
+	 * The worker may be done with the work that was found running, and
+	 * flagged, above. That isn't the same as not having found it.
+	 */
+	if (ret == -ENOENT && cd->running)
+		ret = -EALREADY;
+	return ret;
 }
 
 int io_async_cancel(struct io_kiocb *req, unsigned int issue_flags)
diff --git a/io_uring/cancel.h b/io_uring/cancel.h
index e49713a1bc66..484fa5e7ffaa 100644
--- a/io_uring/cancel.h
+++ b/io_uring/cancel.h
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ struct io_cancel_data {
 	u8 opcode;
 	u32 flags;
 	int seq;
+	/* io_try_cancel() has found it being run by io-wq, and flagged it */
+	bool running;
 };
 
 int io_async_cancel_prep(struct io_kiocb *req, const struct io_uring_sqe *sqe);