diff --git a/block/blk-core.c b/block/blk-core.c
index 3866b6c4cd88..9321767470dc 100644
--- a/block/blk-core.c
+++ b/block/blk-core.c
@@ -254,14 +254,15 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(blk_clear_pm_only);
 
 static void blk_free_queue_rcu(struct rcu_head *rcu_head)
 {
-	kmem_cache_free(blk_requestq_cachep,
-			container_of(rcu_head, struct request_queue, rcu_head));
+	struct request_queue *q = container_of(rcu_head,
+			struct request_queue, rcu_head);
+
+	percpu_ref_exit(&q->q_usage_counter);
+	kmem_cache_free(blk_requestq_cachep, q);
 }
 
 static void blk_free_queue(struct request_queue *q)
 {
-	percpu_ref_exit(&q->q_usage_counter);
-
 	if (q->poll_stat)
 		blk_stat_remove_callback(q, q->poll_cb);
 	blk_stat_free_callback(q->poll_cb);