diff --git a/drivers/nvme/target/fc.c b/drivers/nvme/target/fc.c
index 1b557775e033..a25f7579049d 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/target/fc.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/target/fc.c
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ struct nvmet_fc_ls_req_op {		/* for an LS RQST XMT */
 	bool				req_queued;
 
 	struct work_struct		put_work;
+	struct kref                     ref;
 };
 
 
@@ -339,6 +340,22 @@ fc_dma_unmap_sg(struct device *dev, struct scatterlist *sg, int nents,
 		dma_unmap_sg(dev, sg, nents, dir);
 }
 
+static void
+nvmet_fc_ls_req_op_release(struct kref *ref)
+{
+    struct nvmet_fc_ls_req_op *lsop =
+        container_of(ref, struct nvmet_fc_ls_req_op, ref);
+    struct nvmet_fc_tgtport *tgtport = lsop->tgtport;
+    struct nvmefc_ls_req *lsreq = &lsop->ls_req;
+
+    if (lsop->req_queued)
+        fc_dma_unmap_single(tgtport->dev, lsreq->rqstdma,
+                    (lsreq->rqstlen + lsreq->rsplen),
+                    DMA_BIDIRECTIONAL);
+    queue_work(nvmet_wq, &lsop->put_work);
+}
+
+
 
 /* ********************** FC-NVME LS XMT Handling ************************* */
 
@@ -347,7 +364,6 @@ static void
 __nvmet_fc_finish_ls_req(struct nvmet_fc_ls_req_op *lsop)
 {
 	struct nvmet_fc_tgtport *tgtport = lsop->tgtport;
-	struct nvmefc_ls_req *lsreq = &lsop->ls_req;
 	unsigned long flags;
 
 	spin_lock_irqsave(&tgtport->lock, flags);
@@ -363,12 +379,8 @@ __nvmet_fc_finish_ls_req(struct nvmet_fc_ls_req_op *lsop)
 
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&tgtport->lock, flags);
 
-	fc_dma_unmap_single(tgtport->dev, lsreq->rqstdma,
-				  (lsreq->rqstlen + lsreq->rsplen),
-				  DMA_BIDIRECTIONAL);
-
 out_putwork:
-	queue_work(nvmet_wq, &lsop->put_work);
+	kref_put(&lsop->ref, nvmet_fc_ls_req_op_release);
 }
 
 static int
@@ -406,12 +418,16 @@ __nvmet_fc_send_ls_req(struct nvmet_fc_tgtport *tgtport,
 
 	lsop->req_queued = true;
 
+	kref_init(&lsop->ref);
+	kref_get(&lsop->ref);
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&tgtport->lock, flags);
 
 	ret = tgtport->ops->ls_req(&tgtport->fc_target_port, lsop->hosthandle,
 				   lsreq);
-	if (ret)
+	if (ret) {
+		kref_put(&lsop->ref, nvmet_fc_ls_req_op_release);
 		goto out_unlink;
+	}
 
 	return 0;
 
@@ -1591,7 +1607,6 @@ static void
 nvmet_fc_free_pending_reqs(struct nvmet_fc_tgtport *tgtport)
 {
 	struct nvmet_fc_ls_req_op *lsop;
-	struct nvmefc_ls_req *lsreq;
 	struct nvmet_fc_ls_iod *iod;
 	int i;
 
@@ -1611,12 +1626,7 @@ nvmet_fc_free_pending_reqs(struct nvmet_fc_tgtport *tgtport)
 		if (!lsop->req_queued)
 			continue;
 
-		lsreq = &lsop->ls_req;
-		fc_dma_unmap_single(tgtport->dev, lsreq->rqstdma,
-				    (lsreq->rqstlen + lsreq->rsplen),
-				    DMA_BIDIRECTIONAL);
-		nvmet_fc_tgtport_put(tgtport);
-		kfree(lsop);
+		kref_put(&lsop->ref, nvmet_fc_ls_req_op_release);
 	}
 }