diff --git a/drivers/block/drbd/drbd_main.c b/drivers/block/drbd/drbd_main.c
index d07cb31a36eaa6608610a5d6326de25d7df9300c..c0acd86c84153185cfc8c18716a25dffe0928d65 100644
--- a/drivers/block/drbd/drbd_main.c
+++ b/drivers/block/drbd/drbd_main.c
@@ -2216,12 +2216,25 @@ static void do_retry(struct work_struct *ws)
 		struct drbd_conf *mdev = req->w.mdev;
 		struct bio *bio = req->master_bio;
 		unsigned long start_time = req->start_time;
-
-		/* We have exclusive access to this request object.
-		 * If it had not been RQ_POSTPONED, the code path which queued
-		 * it here would have completed and freed it already.
+		bool expected;
+
+		expected = 
+			expect(atomic_read(&req->completion_ref) == 0) &&
+			expect(req->rq_state & RQ_POSTPONED) &&
+			expect((req->rq_state & RQ_LOCAL_PENDING) == 0 ||
+				(req->rq_state & RQ_LOCAL_ABORTED) != 0);
+
+		if (!expected)
+			dev_err(DEV, "req=%p completion_ref=%d rq_state=%x\n",
+				req, atomic_read(&req->completion_ref),
+				req->rq_state);
+
+		/* We still need to put one kref associated with the
+		 * "completion_ref" going zero in the code path that queued it
+		 * here.  The request object may still be referenced by a
+		 * frozen local req->private_bio, in case we force-detached.
 		 */
-		mempool_free(req, drbd_request_mempool);
+		kref_put(&req->kref, drbd_req_destroy);
 
 		/* A single suspended or otherwise blocking device may stall
 		 * all others as well.  Fortunately, this code path is to
diff --git a/drivers/block/drbd/drbd_req.c b/drivers/block/drbd/drbd_req.c
index f2ba43e78377352fca65bfd1c2971bfb794f529a..c45479aaff8ec255ca7f029cc3b38544dd9df3a2 100644
--- a/drivers/block/drbd/drbd_req.c
+++ b/drivers/block/drbd/drbd_req.c
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ static struct drbd_request *drbd_req_new(struct drbd_conf *mdev,
 	return req;
 }
 
-static void drbd_req_destroy(struct kref *kref)
+void drbd_req_destroy(struct kref *kref)
 {
 	struct drbd_request *req = container_of(kref, struct drbd_request, kref);
 	struct drbd_conf *mdev = req->w.mdev;
@@ -152,10 +152,7 @@ static void drbd_req_destroy(struct kref *kref)
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (s & RQ_POSTPONED)
-		drbd_restart_request(req);
-	else
-		mempool_free(req, drbd_request_mempool);
+	mempool_free(req, drbd_request_mempool);
 }
 
 static void wake_all_senders(struct drbd_tconn *tconn) {
@@ -292,10 +289,6 @@ void drbd_req_complete(struct drbd_request *req, struct bio_and_error *m)
 		m->error = ok ? 0 : (error ?: -EIO);
 		m->bio = req->master_bio;
 		req->master_bio = NULL;
-	} else {
-		/* Assert that this will be drbd_req_destroy()ed
-		 * with this very invokation. */
-		D_ASSERT(atomic_read(&req->kref.refcount) == 1);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -320,6 +313,14 @@ static int drbd_req_put_completion_ref(struct drbd_request *req, struct bio_and_
 
 	/* else */
 	drbd_req_complete(req, m);
+
+	if (req->rq_state & RQ_POSTPONED) {
+		/* don't destroy the req object just yet,
+		 * but queue it for retry */
+		drbd_restart_request(req);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
 	return 1;
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/block/drbd/drbd_req.h b/drivers/block/drbd/drbd_req.h
index 90e5a1eea7273764ce7c81909bdd20aa598638d2..9611713c358077d78914dac8587279f49f5faabb 100644
--- a/drivers/block/drbd/drbd_req.h
+++ b/drivers/block/drbd/drbd_req.h
@@ -267,6 +267,7 @@ struct bio_and_error {
 	int error;
 };
 
+extern void drbd_req_destroy(struct kref *kref);
 extern void _req_may_be_done(struct drbd_request *req,
 		struct bio_and_error *m);
 extern int __req_mod(struct drbd_request *req, enum drbd_req_event what,