diff --git a/drivers/block/xen-blkback/blkback.c b/drivers/block/xen-blkback/blkback.c
index eaccc222a1dcc710dfcfc1b0c5748f19fd982ba9..477a17c20820d74422f7549106a3e583df838a40 100644
--- a/drivers/block/xen-blkback/blkback.c
+++ b/drivers/block/xen-blkback/blkback.c
@@ -1001,13 +1001,7 @@ static int dispatch_rw_block_io(struct xen_blkif *blkif,
 		bio->bi_end_io  = end_block_io_op;
 	}
 
-	/*
-	 * We set it one so that the last submit_bio does not have to call
-	 * atomic_inc.
-	 */
 	atomic_set(&pending_req->pendcnt, nbio);
-
-	/* Get a reference count for the disk queue and start sending I/O */
 	blk_start_plug(&plug);
 
 	for (i = 0; i < nbio; i++)
@@ -1035,6 +1029,7 @@ static int dispatch_rw_block_io(struct xen_blkif *blkif,
  fail_put_bio:
 	for (i = 0; i < nbio; i++)
 		bio_put(biolist[i]);
+	atomic_set(&pending_req->pendcnt, 1);
 	__end_block_io_op(pending_req, -EINVAL);
 	msleep(1); /* back off a bit */
 	return -EIO;