diff --git a/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-init.c b/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-init.c
index 8416910ee8bffef572e2d47c7368f3349ca433b3..49c65f1dd48b6316ba2d6e82401ba5f2960df091 100644
--- a/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-init.c
+++ b/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-init.c
@@ -912,9 +912,9 @@ static void pblk_writer_stop(struct pblk *pblk)
 	WARN(pblk_rb_sync_count(&pblk->rwb),
 			"Stopping not fully synced write buffer\n");
 
+	del_timer_sync(&pblk->wtimer);
 	if (pblk->writer_ts)
 		kthread_stop(pblk->writer_ts);
-	del_timer(&pblk->wtimer);
 }
 
 static void pblk_free(struct pblk *pblk)