diff --git a/drivers/nvme/host/multipath.c b/drivers/nvme/host/multipath.c
index 3a89f8daee0f127d10b7d612e13bba6a6bd3bb50..238957ff8d499b27c83bc1131a3d5ca9bd7dc647 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/host/multipath.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/host/multipath.c
@@ -533,6 +533,14 @@ void nvme_mpath_remove_disk(struct nvme_ns_head *head)
 	kblockd_schedule_work(&head->requeue_work);
 	flush_work(&head->requeue_work);
 	blk_cleanup_queue(head->disk->queue);
+	if (!test_bit(NVME_NSHEAD_DISK_LIVE, &head->flags)) {
+		/*
+		 * if device_add_disk wasn't called, prevent
+		 * disk release to put a bogus reference on the
+		 * request queue
+		 */
+		head->disk->queue = NULL;
+	}
 	put_disk(head->disk);
 }