diff --git a/drivers/lightnvm/core.c b/drivers/lightnvm/core.c
index 63171cdce270..60aa7bc5a630 100644
--- a/drivers/lightnvm/core.c
+++ b/drivers/lightnvm/core.c
@@ -431,7 +431,7 @@ static int nvm_create_tgt(struct nvm_dev *dev, struct nvm_ioctl_create *create)
 	return 0;
 err_sysfs:
 	if (tt->exit)
-		tt->exit(targetdata);
+		tt->exit(targetdata, true);
 err_init:
 	blk_cleanup_queue(tqueue);
 	tdisk->queue = NULL;
@@ -446,7 +446,7 @@ static int nvm_create_tgt(struct nvm_dev *dev, struct nvm_ioctl_create *create)
 	return ret;
 }
 
-static void __nvm_remove_target(struct nvm_target *t)
+static void __nvm_remove_target(struct nvm_target *t, bool graceful)
 {
 	struct nvm_tgt_type *tt = t->type;
 	struct gendisk *tdisk = t->disk;
@@ -459,7 +459,7 @@ static void __nvm_remove_target(struct nvm_target *t)
 		tt->sysfs_exit(tdisk);
 
 	if (tt->exit)
-		tt->exit(tdisk->private_data);
+		tt->exit(tdisk->private_data, graceful);
 
 	nvm_remove_tgt_dev(t->dev, 1);
 	put_disk(tdisk);
@@ -489,7 +489,7 @@ static int nvm_remove_tgt(struct nvm_dev *dev, struct nvm_ioctl_remove *remove)
 		mutex_unlock(&dev->mlock);
 		return 1;
 	}
-	__nvm_remove_target(t);
+	__nvm_remove_target(t, true);
 	mutex_unlock(&dev->mlock);
 
 	return 0;
@@ -963,7 +963,7 @@ void nvm_unregister(struct nvm_dev *dev)
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(t, tmp, &dev->targets, list) {
 		if (t->dev->parent != dev)
 			continue;
-		__nvm_remove_target(t);
+		__nvm_remove_target(t, false);
 	}
 	mutex_unlock(&dev->mlock);
 
diff --git a/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-core.c b/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-core.c
index 4b10122aec89..5f1e5b1b3094 100644
--- a/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-core.c
+++ b/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-core.c
@@ -1461,7 +1461,7 @@ static void pblk_line_close_meta_sync(struct pblk *pblk)
 	flush_workqueue(pblk->close_wq);
 }
 
-void pblk_pipeline_stop(struct pblk *pblk)
+void __pblk_pipeline_flush(struct pblk *pblk)
 {
 	struct pblk_line_mgmt *l_mg = &pblk->l_mg;
 	int ret;
@@ -1486,6 +1486,11 @@ void pblk_pipeline_stop(struct pblk *pblk)
 
 	flush_workqueue(pblk->bb_wq);
 	pblk_line_close_meta_sync(pblk);
+}
+
+void __pblk_pipeline_stop(struct pblk *pblk)
+{
+	struct pblk_line_mgmt *l_mg = &pblk->l_mg;
 
 	spin_lock(&l_mg->free_lock);
 	pblk->state = PBLK_STATE_STOPPED;
@@ -1494,6 +1499,12 @@ void pblk_pipeline_stop(struct pblk *pblk)
 	spin_unlock(&l_mg->free_lock);
 }
 
+void pblk_pipeline_stop(struct pblk *pblk)
+{
+	__pblk_pipeline_flush(pblk);
+	__pblk_pipeline_stop(pblk);
+}
+
 struct pblk_line *pblk_line_replace_data(struct pblk *pblk)
 {
 	struct pblk_line_mgmt *l_mg = &pblk->l_mg;
diff --git a/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-gc.c b/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-gc.c
index 6851a5c67189..b0cc277bf972 100644
--- a/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-gc.c
+++ b/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-gc.c
@@ -649,7 +649,7 @@ int pblk_gc_init(struct pblk *pblk)
 	return ret;
 }
 
-void pblk_gc_exit(struct pblk *pblk)
+void pblk_gc_exit(struct pblk *pblk, bool graceful)
 {
 	struct pblk_gc *gc = &pblk->gc;
 
@@ -663,10 +663,12 @@ void pblk_gc_exit(struct pblk *pblk)
 	if (gc->gc_reader_ts)
 		kthread_stop(gc->gc_reader_ts);
 
-	flush_workqueue(gc->gc_reader_wq);
+	if (graceful) {
+		flush_workqueue(gc->gc_reader_wq);
+		flush_workqueue(gc->gc_line_reader_wq);
+	}
+
 	destroy_workqueue(gc->gc_reader_wq);
-
-	flush_workqueue(gc->gc_line_reader_wq);
 	destroy_workqueue(gc->gc_line_reader_wq);
 
 	if (gc->gc_writer_ts)
diff --git a/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-init.c b/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-init.c
index 9e3a43346d4c..bfc488d0dda9 100644
--- a/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-init.c
+++ b/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-init.c
@@ -1118,23 +1118,25 @@ static void pblk_free(struct pblk *pblk)
 	kfree(pblk);
 }
 
-static void pblk_tear_down(struct pblk *pblk)
+static void pblk_tear_down(struct pblk *pblk, bool graceful)
 {
-	pblk_pipeline_stop(pblk);
+	if (graceful)
+		__pblk_pipeline_flush(pblk);
+	__pblk_pipeline_stop(pblk);
 	pblk_writer_stop(pblk);
 	pblk_rb_sync_l2p(&pblk->rwb);
 	pblk_rl_free(&pblk->rl);
 
-	pr_debug("pblk: consistent tear down\n");
+	pr_debug("pblk: consistent tear down (graceful:%d)\n", graceful);
 }
 
-static void pblk_exit(void *private)
+static void pblk_exit(void *private, bool graceful)
 {
 	struct pblk *pblk = private;
 
 	down_write(&pblk_lock);
-	pblk_gc_exit(pblk);
-	pblk_tear_down(pblk);
+	pblk_gc_exit(pblk, graceful);
+	pblk_tear_down(pblk, graceful);
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_NVM_DEBUG
 	pr_info("pblk exit: L2P CRC: %x\n", pblk_l2p_crc(pblk));
diff --git a/drivers/lightnvm/pblk.h b/drivers/lightnvm/pblk.h
index dfbfe9e9a385..0c69eb880f56 100644
--- a/drivers/lightnvm/pblk.h
+++ b/drivers/lightnvm/pblk.h
@@ -771,6 +771,8 @@ void pblk_line_close_meta(struct pblk *pblk, struct pblk_line *line);
 void pblk_line_close(struct pblk *pblk, struct pblk_line *line);
 void pblk_line_close_ws(struct work_struct *work);
 void pblk_pipeline_stop(struct pblk *pblk);
+void __pblk_pipeline_stop(struct pblk *pblk);
+void __pblk_pipeline_flush(struct pblk *pblk);
 void pblk_gen_run_ws(struct pblk *pblk, struct pblk_line *line, void *priv,
 		     void (*work)(struct work_struct *), gfp_t gfp_mask,
 		     struct workqueue_struct *wq);
@@ -864,7 +866,7 @@ int pblk_recov_setup_rq(struct pblk *pblk, struct pblk_c_ctx *c_ctx,
 #define PBLK_GC_RSV_LINE 1	/* Reserved lines for GC */
 
 int pblk_gc_init(struct pblk *pblk);
-void pblk_gc_exit(struct pblk *pblk);
+void pblk_gc_exit(struct pblk *pblk, bool graceful);
 void pblk_gc_should_start(struct pblk *pblk);
 void pblk_gc_should_stop(struct pblk *pblk);
 void pblk_gc_should_kick(struct pblk *pblk);
diff --git a/include/linux/lightnvm.h b/include/linux/lightnvm.h
index 6e0859b9d4d2..e9e0d1c7eaf5 100644
--- a/include/linux/lightnvm.h
+++ b/include/linux/lightnvm.h
@@ -489,7 +489,7 @@ typedef blk_qc_t (nvm_tgt_make_rq_fn)(struct request_queue *, struct bio *);
 typedef sector_t (nvm_tgt_capacity_fn)(void *);
 typedef void *(nvm_tgt_init_fn)(struct nvm_tgt_dev *, struct gendisk *,
 				int flags);
-typedef void (nvm_tgt_exit_fn)(void *);
+typedef void (nvm_tgt_exit_fn)(void *, bool);
 typedef int (nvm_tgt_sysfs_init_fn)(struct gendisk *);
 typedef void (nvm_tgt_sysfs_exit_fn)(struct gendisk *);
 
