diff --git a/block/blk-core.c b/block/blk-core.c
index a5726e01f839..00c90f8cd682 100644
--- a/block/blk-core.c
+++ b/block/blk-core.c
@@ -1591,7 +1591,7 @@ static blk_qc_t blk_queue_bio(struct request_queue *q, struct bio *bio)
 {
 	struct blk_plug *plug;
 	int el_ret, where = ELEVATOR_INSERT_SORT;
-	struct request *req;
+	struct request *req, *free;
 	unsigned int request_count = 0;
 	unsigned int wb_acct;
 
@@ -1632,15 +1632,21 @@ static blk_qc_t blk_queue_bio(struct request_queue *q, struct bio *bio)
 	if (el_ret == ELEVATOR_BACK_MERGE) {
 		if (bio_attempt_back_merge(q, req, bio)) {
 			elv_bio_merged(q, req, bio);
-			if (!attempt_back_merge(q, req))
+			free = attempt_back_merge(q, req);
+			if (!free)
 				elv_merged_request(q, req, el_ret);
+			else
+				__blk_put_request(q, free);
 			goto out_unlock;
 		}
 	} else if (el_ret == ELEVATOR_FRONT_MERGE) {
 		if (bio_attempt_front_merge(q, req, bio)) {
 			elv_bio_merged(q, req, bio);
-			if (!attempt_front_merge(q, req))
+			free = attempt_front_merge(q, req);
+			if (!free)
 				elv_merged_request(q, req, el_ret);
+			else
+				__blk_put_request(q, free);
 			goto out_unlock;
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/block/blk-merge.c b/block/blk-merge.c
index 3826fc32b72c..a373416dbc9a 100644
--- a/block/blk-merge.c
+++ b/block/blk-merge.c
@@ -733,9 +733,11 @@ static struct request *attempt_merge(struct request_queue *q,
 	if (blk_rq_cpu_valid(next))
 		req->cpu = next->cpu;
 
-	/* owner-ship of bio passed from next to req */
+	/*
+	 * ownership of bio passed from next to req, return 'next' for
+	 * the caller to free
+	 */
 	next->bio = NULL;
-	__blk_put_request(q, next);
 	return next;
 }
 
@@ -763,12 +765,19 @@ int blk_attempt_req_merge(struct request_queue *q, struct request *rq,
 			  struct request *next)
 {
 	struct elevator_queue *e = q->elevator;
+	struct request *free;
 
 	if (!e->uses_mq && e->type->ops.sq.elevator_allow_rq_merge_fn)
 		if (!e->type->ops.sq.elevator_allow_rq_merge_fn(q, rq, next))
 			return 0;
 
-	return attempt_merge(q, rq, next) != NULL;
+	free = attempt_merge(q, rq, next);
+	if (free) {
+		__blk_put_request(q, free);
+		return 1;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
 }
 
 bool blk_rq_merge_ok(struct request *rq, struct bio *bio)
diff --git a/block/blk-mq-sched.c b/block/blk-mq-sched.c
index 114814ec3d49..d93b56d53c4e 100644
--- a/block/blk-mq-sched.c
+++ b/block/blk-mq-sched.c
@@ -234,7 +234,8 @@ void blk_mq_sched_move_to_dispatch(struct blk_mq_hw_ctx *hctx,
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(blk_mq_sched_move_to_dispatch);
 
-bool blk_mq_sched_try_merge(struct request_queue *q, struct bio *bio)
+bool blk_mq_sched_try_merge(struct request_queue *q, struct bio *bio,
+			    struct request **merged_request)
 {
 	struct request *rq;
 	int ret;
@@ -244,7 +245,8 @@ bool blk_mq_sched_try_merge(struct request_queue *q, struct bio *bio)
 		if (!blk_mq_sched_allow_merge(q, rq, bio))
 			return false;
 		if (bio_attempt_back_merge(q, rq, bio)) {
-			if (!attempt_back_merge(q, rq))
+			*merged_request = attempt_back_merge(q, rq);
+			if (!*merged_request)
 				elv_merged_request(q, rq, ret);
 			return true;
 		}
@@ -252,7 +254,8 @@ bool blk_mq_sched_try_merge(struct request_queue *q, struct bio *bio)
 		if (!blk_mq_sched_allow_merge(q, rq, bio))
 			return false;
 		if (bio_attempt_front_merge(q, rq, bio)) {
-			if (!attempt_front_merge(q, rq))
+			*merged_request = attempt_front_merge(q, rq);
+			if (!*merged_request)
 				elv_merged_request(q, rq, ret);
 			return true;
 		}
diff --git a/block/blk-mq-sched.h b/block/blk-mq-sched.h
index 9478aaeb48c5..3643686a54b8 100644
--- a/block/blk-mq-sched.h
+++ b/block/blk-mq-sched.h
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@ void blk_mq_sched_put_request(struct request *rq);
 
 void blk_mq_sched_request_inserted(struct request *rq);
 bool blk_mq_sched_bypass_insert(struct blk_mq_hw_ctx *hctx, struct request *rq);
-bool blk_mq_sched_try_merge(struct request_queue *q, struct bio *bio);
+bool blk_mq_sched_try_merge(struct request_queue *q, struct bio *bio,
+				struct request **merged_request);
 bool __blk_mq_sched_bio_merge(struct request_queue *q, struct bio *bio);
 bool blk_mq_sched_try_insert_merge(struct request_queue *q, struct request *rq);
 void blk_mq_sched_restart_queues(struct blk_mq_hw_ctx *hctx);
diff --git a/block/mq-deadline.c b/block/mq-deadline.c
index 49583536698c..682fa64f55ff 100644
--- a/block/mq-deadline.c
+++ b/block/mq-deadline.c
@@ -371,12 +371,16 @@ static bool dd_bio_merge(struct blk_mq_hw_ctx *hctx, struct bio *bio)
 {
 	struct request_queue *q = hctx->queue;
 	struct deadline_data *dd = q->elevator->elevator_data;
-	int ret;
+	struct request *free = NULL;
+	bool ret;
 
 	spin_lock(&dd->lock);
-	ret = blk_mq_sched_try_merge(q, bio);
+	ret = blk_mq_sched_try_merge(q, bio, &free);
 	spin_unlock(&dd->lock);
 
+	if (free)
+		blk_mq_free_request(free);
+
 	return ret;
 }
 
