diff --git a/drivers/nvme/target/fcloop.c b/drivers/nvme/target/fcloop.c
index c5015199c03144ac99b09719b4641c71a5b7f9b1..9f8a6726df91502b551c02db7018cb34469cc060 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/target/fcloop.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/target/fcloop.c
@@ -242,13 +242,22 @@ struct fcloop_lsreq {
 	int				status;
 };
 
+enum {
+	INI_IO_START		= 0,
+	INI_IO_ACTIVE		= 1,
+	INI_IO_ABORTED		= 2,
+	INI_IO_COMPLETED	= 3,
+};
+
 struct fcloop_fcpreq {
 	struct fcloop_tport		*tport;
 	struct nvmefc_fcp_req		*fcpreq;
 	spinlock_t			reqlock;
 	u16				status;
+	u32				inistate;
 	bool				active;
 	bool				aborted;
+	struct kref			ref;
 	struct work_struct		fcp_rcv_work;
 	struct work_struct		abort_rcv_work;
 	struct work_struct		tio_done_work;
@@ -258,6 +267,7 @@ struct fcloop_fcpreq {
 struct fcloop_ini_fcpreq {
 	struct nvmefc_fcp_req		*fcpreq;
 	struct fcloop_fcpreq		*tfcp_req;
+	spinlock_t			inilock;
 };
 
 static inline struct fcloop_lsreq *
@@ -349,24 +359,24 @@ fcloop_xmt_ls_rsp(struct nvmet_fc_target_port *tport,
 }
 
 static void
-fcloop_fcp_recv_work(struct work_struct *work)
+fcloop_tfcp_req_free(struct kref *ref)
 {
 	struct fcloop_fcpreq *tfcp_req =
-		container_of(work, struct fcloop_fcpreq, fcp_rcv_work);
-	struct nvmefc_fcp_req *fcpreq = tfcp_req->fcpreq;
-	struct fcloop_ini_fcpreq *inireq = NULL;
-	int ret = 0;
+		container_of(ref, struct fcloop_fcpreq, ref);
 
-	ret = nvmet_fc_rcv_fcp_req(tfcp_req->tport->targetport,
-				&tfcp_req->tgt_fcp_req,
-				fcpreq->cmdaddr, fcpreq->cmdlen);
-	if (ret) {
-		inireq = fcpreq->private;
-		inireq->tfcp_req = NULL;
+	kfree(tfcp_req);
+}
 
-		fcpreq->status = tfcp_req->status;
-		fcpreq->done(fcpreq);
-	}
+static void
+fcloop_tfcp_req_put(struct fcloop_fcpreq *tfcp_req)
+{
+	kref_put(&tfcp_req->ref, fcloop_tfcp_req_free);
+}
+
+static int
+fcloop_tfcp_req_get(struct fcloop_fcpreq *tfcp_req)
+{
+	return kref_get_unless_zero(&tfcp_req->ref);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -377,11 +387,52 @@ fcloop_call_host_done(struct nvmefc_fcp_req *fcpreq,
 
 	if (fcpreq) {
 		inireq = fcpreq->private;
+		spin_lock(&inireq->inilock);
 		inireq->tfcp_req = NULL;
+		spin_unlock(&inireq->inilock);
 
 		fcpreq->status = status;
 		fcpreq->done(fcpreq);
 	}
+
+	/* release original io reference on tgt struct */
+	fcloop_tfcp_req_put(tfcp_req);
+}
+
+static void
+fcloop_fcp_recv_work(struct work_struct *work)
+{
+	struct fcloop_fcpreq *tfcp_req =
+		container_of(work, struct fcloop_fcpreq, fcp_rcv_work);
+	struct nvmefc_fcp_req *fcpreq = tfcp_req->fcpreq;
+	int ret = 0;
+	bool aborted = false;
+
+	spin_lock(&tfcp_req->reqlock);
+	switch (tfcp_req->inistate) {
+	case INI_IO_START:
+		tfcp_req->inistate = INI_IO_ACTIVE;
+		break;
+	case INI_IO_ABORTED:
+		aborted = true;
+		break;
+	default:
+		spin_unlock(&tfcp_req->reqlock);
+		WARN_ON(1);
+		return;
+	}
+	spin_unlock(&tfcp_req->reqlock);
+
+	if (unlikely(aborted))
+		ret = -ECANCELED;
+	else
+		ret = nvmet_fc_rcv_fcp_req(tfcp_req->tport->targetport,
+				&tfcp_req->tgt_fcp_req,
+				fcpreq->cmdaddr, fcpreq->cmdlen);
+	if (ret)
+		fcloop_call_host_done(fcpreq, tfcp_req, ret);
+
+	return;
 }
 
 static void
@@ -389,7 +440,29 @@ fcloop_fcp_abort_recv_work(struct work_struct *work)
 {
 	struct fcloop_fcpreq *tfcp_req =
 		container_of(work, struct fcloop_fcpreq, abort_rcv_work);
-	struct nvmefc_fcp_req *fcpreq = tfcp_req->fcpreq;
+	struct nvmefc_fcp_req *fcpreq;
+	bool completed = false;
+
+	spin_lock(&tfcp_req->reqlock);
+	fcpreq = tfcp_req->fcpreq;
+	switch (tfcp_req->inistate) {
+	case INI_IO_ABORTED:
+		break;
+	case INI_IO_COMPLETED:
+		completed = true;
+		break;
+	default:
+		spin_unlock(&tfcp_req->reqlock);
+		WARN_ON(1);
+		return;
+	}
+	spin_unlock(&tfcp_req->reqlock);
+
+	if (unlikely(completed)) {
+		/* remove reference taken in original abort downcall */
+		fcloop_tfcp_req_put(tfcp_req);
+		return;
+	}
 
 	if (tfcp_req->tport->targetport)
 		nvmet_fc_rcv_fcp_abort(tfcp_req->tport->targetport,
@@ -400,6 +473,7 @@ fcloop_fcp_abort_recv_work(struct work_struct *work)
 	spin_unlock(&tfcp_req->reqlock);
 
 	fcloop_call_host_done(fcpreq, tfcp_req, -ECANCELED);
+	/* call_host_done releases reference for abort downcall */
 }
 
 /*
@@ -415,12 +489,10 @@ fcloop_tgt_fcprqst_done_work(struct work_struct *work)
 
 	spin_lock(&tfcp_req->reqlock);
 	fcpreq = tfcp_req->fcpreq;
-	tfcp_req->fcpreq = NULL;
+	tfcp_req->inistate = INI_IO_COMPLETED;
 	spin_unlock(&tfcp_req->reqlock);
 
 	fcloop_call_host_done(fcpreq, tfcp_req, tfcp_req->status);
-
-	kfree(tfcp_req);
 }
 
 
@@ -443,12 +515,16 @@ fcloop_fcp_req(struct nvme_fc_local_port *localport,
 
 	inireq->fcpreq = fcpreq;
 	inireq->tfcp_req = tfcp_req;
+	spin_lock_init(&inireq->inilock);
+
 	tfcp_req->fcpreq = fcpreq;
 	tfcp_req->tport = rport->targetport->private;
+	tfcp_req->inistate = INI_IO_START;
 	spin_lock_init(&tfcp_req->reqlock);
 	INIT_WORK(&tfcp_req->fcp_rcv_work, fcloop_fcp_recv_work);
 	INIT_WORK(&tfcp_req->abort_rcv_work, fcloop_fcp_abort_recv_work);
 	INIT_WORK(&tfcp_req->tio_done_work, fcloop_tgt_fcprqst_done_work);
+	kref_init(&tfcp_req->ref);
 
 	schedule_work(&tfcp_req->fcp_rcv_work);
 
@@ -648,7 +724,14 @@ fcloop_fcp_abort(struct nvme_fc_local_port *localport,
 			struct nvmefc_fcp_req *fcpreq)
 {
 	struct fcloop_ini_fcpreq *inireq = fcpreq->private;
-	struct fcloop_fcpreq *tfcp_req = inireq->tfcp_req;
+	struct fcloop_fcpreq *tfcp_req;
+	bool abortio = true;
+
+	spin_lock(&inireq->inilock);
+	tfcp_req = inireq->tfcp_req;
+	if (tfcp_req)
+		fcloop_tfcp_req_get(tfcp_req);
+	spin_unlock(&inireq->inilock);
 
 	if (!tfcp_req)
 		/* abort has already been called */
@@ -656,11 +739,31 @@ fcloop_fcp_abort(struct nvme_fc_local_port *localport,
 
 	/* break initiator/target relationship for io */
 	spin_lock(&tfcp_req->reqlock);
-	inireq->tfcp_req = NULL;
-	tfcp_req->fcpreq = NULL;
+	switch (tfcp_req->inistate) {
+	case INI_IO_START:
+	case INI_IO_ACTIVE:
+		tfcp_req->inistate = INI_IO_ABORTED;
+		break;
+	case INI_IO_COMPLETED:
+		abortio = false;
+		break;
+	default:
+		spin_unlock(&tfcp_req->reqlock);
+		WARN_ON(1);
+		return;
+	}
 	spin_unlock(&tfcp_req->reqlock);
 
-	WARN_ON(!schedule_work(&tfcp_req->abort_rcv_work));
+	if (abortio)
+		/* leave the reference while the work item is scheduled */
+		WARN_ON(!schedule_work(&tfcp_req->abort_rcv_work));
+	else  {
+		/*
+		 * as the io has already had the done callback made,
+		 * nothing more to do. So release the reference taken above
+		 */
+		fcloop_tfcp_req_put(tfcp_req);
+	}
 }
 
 static void