diff --git a/drivers/lightnvm/core.c b/drivers/lightnvm/core.c
index 60aa7bc5a630..68553c7ae937 100644
--- a/drivers/lightnvm/core.c
+++ b/drivers/lightnvm/core.c
@@ -752,6 +752,24 @@ int nvm_set_tgt_bb_tbl(struct nvm_tgt_dev *tgt_dev, struct ppa_addr *ppas,
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(nvm_set_tgt_bb_tbl);
 
+static int nvm_set_flags(struct nvm_geo *geo, struct nvm_rq *rqd)
+{
+	int flags = 0;
+
+	if (geo->version == NVM_OCSSD_SPEC_20)
+		return 0;
+
+	if (rqd->is_seq)
+		flags |= geo->pln_mode >> 1;
+
+	if (rqd->opcode == NVM_OP_PREAD)
+		flags |= (NVM_IO_SCRAMBLE_ENABLE | NVM_IO_SUSPEND);
+	else if (rqd->opcode == NVM_OP_PWRITE)
+		flags |= NVM_IO_SCRAMBLE_ENABLE;
+
+	return flags;
+}
+
 int nvm_submit_io(struct nvm_tgt_dev *tgt_dev, struct nvm_rq *rqd)
 {
 	struct nvm_dev *dev = tgt_dev->parent;
@@ -763,6 +781,7 @@ int nvm_submit_io(struct nvm_tgt_dev *tgt_dev, struct nvm_rq *rqd)
 	nvm_rq_tgt_to_dev(tgt_dev, rqd);
 
 	rqd->dev = tgt_dev;
+	rqd->flags = nvm_set_flags(&tgt_dev->geo, rqd);
 
 	/* In case of error, fail with right address format */
 	ret = dev->ops->submit_io(dev, rqd);
@@ -783,6 +802,7 @@ int nvm_submit_io_sync(struct nvm_tgt_dev *tgt_dev, struct nvm_rq *rqd)
 	nvm_rq_tgt_to_dev(tgt_dev, rqd);
 
 	rqd->dev = tgt_dev;
+	rqd->flags = nvm_set_flags(&tgt_dev->geo, rqd);
 
 	/* In case of error, fail with right address format */
 	ret = dev->ops->submit_io_sync(dev, rqd);
diff --git a/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-core.c b/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-core.c
index 00984b486fea..72acf2f6dbd6 100644
--- a/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-core.c
+++ b/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-core.c
@@ -688,7 +688,7 @@ static int pblk_line_submit_emeta_io(struct pblk *pblk, struct pblk_line *line,
 	if (dir == PBLK_WRITE) {
 		struct pblk_sec_meta *meta_list = rqd.meta_list;
 
-		rqd.flags = pblk_set_progr_mode(pblk, PBLK_WRITE);
+		rqd.is_seq = 1;
 		for (i = 0; i < rqd.nr_ppas; ) {
 			spin_lock(&line->lock);
 			paddr = __pblk_alloc_page(pblk, line, min);
@@ -703,11 +703,9 @@ static int pblk_line_submit_emeta_io(struct pblk *pblk, struct pblk_line *line,
 		for (i = 0; i < rqd.nr_ppas; ) {
 			struct ppa_addr ppa = addr_to_gen_ppa(pblk, paddr, id);
 			int pos = pblk_ppa_to_pos(geo, ppa);
-			int read_type = PBLK_READ_RANDOM;
 
 			if (pblk_io_aligned(pblk, rq_ppas))
-				read_type = PBLK_READ_SEQUENTIAL;
-			rqd.flags = pblk_set_read_mode(pblk, read_type);
+				rqd.is_seq = 1;
 
 			while (test_bit(pos, line->blk_bitmap)) {
 				paddr += min;
@@ -787,17 +785,14 @@ static int pblk_line_submit_smeta_io(struct pblk *pblk, struct pblk_line *line,
 	__le64 *lba_list = NULL;
 	int i, ret;
 	int cmd_op, bio_op;
-	int flags;
 
 	if (dir == PBLK_WRITE) {
 		bio_op = REQ_OP_WRITE;
 		cmd_op = NVM_OP_PWRITE;
-		flags = pblk_set_progr_mode(pblk, PBLK_WRITE);
 		lba_list = emeta_to_lbas(pblk, line->emeta->buf);
 	} else if (dir == PBLK_READ_RECOV || dir == PBLK_READ) {
 		bio_op = REQ_OP_READ;
 		cmd_op = NVM_OP_PREAD;
-		flags = pblk_set_read_mode(pblk, PBLK_READ_SEQUENTIAL);
 	} else
 		return -EINVAL;
 
@@ -822,7 +817,7 @@ static int pblk_line_submit_smeta_io(struct pblk *pblk, struct pblk_line *line,
 
 	rqd.bio = bio;
 	rqd.opcode = cmd_op;
-	rqd.flags = flags;
+	rqd.is_seq = 1;
 	rqd.nr_ppas = lm->smeta_sec;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < lm->smeta_sec; i++, paddr++) {
@@ -885,7 +880,7 @@ static void pblk_setup_e_rq(struct pblk *pblk, struct nvm_rq *rqd,
 	rqd->opcode = NVM_OP_ERASE;
 	rqd->ppa_addr = ppa;
 	rqd->nr_ppas = 1;
-	rqd->flags = pblk_set_progr_mode(pblk, PBLK_ERASE);
+	rqd->is_seq = 1;
 	rqd->bio = NULL;
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-read.c b/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-read.c
index 26d414ae25b6..48739f6c0417 100644
--- a/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-read.c
+++ b/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-read.c
@@ -93,9 +93,7 @@ static void pblk_read_ppalist_rq(struct pblk *pblk, struct nvm_rq *rqd,
 	}
 
 	if (pblk_io_aligned(pblk, nr_secs))
-		rqd->flags = pblk_set_read_mode(pblk, PBLK_READ_SEQUENTIAL);
-	else
-		rqd->flags = pblk_set_read_mode(pblk, PBLK_READ_RANDOM);
+		rqd->is_seq = 1;
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_NVM_PBLK_DEBUG
 	atomic_long_add(nr_secs, &pblk->inflight_reads);
@@ -344,7 +342,6 @@ static int pblk_setup_partial_read(struct pblk *pblk, struct nvm_rq *rqd,
 
 	rqd->bio = new_bio;
 	rqd->nr_ppas = nr_holes;
-	rqd->flags = pblk_set_read_mode(pblk, PBLK_READ_RANDOM);
 
 	pr_ctx->ppa_ptr = NULL;
 	pr_ctx->orig_bio = bio;
@@ -438,8 +435,6 @@ static void pblk_read_rq(struct pblk *pblk, struct nvm_rq *rqd, struct bio *bio,
 	} else {
 		rqd->ppa_addr = ppa;
 	}
-
-	rqd->flags = pblk_set_read_mode(pblk, PBLK_READ_RANDOM);
 }
 
 int pblk_submit_read(struct pblk *pblk, struct bio *bio)
@@ -662,7 +657,6 @@ int pblk_submit_read_gc(struct pblk *pblk, struct pblk_gc_rq *gc_rq)
 
 	rqd.opcode = NVM_OP_PREAD;
 	rqd.nr_ppas = gc_rq->secs_to_gc;
-	rqd.flags = pblk_set_read_mode(pblk, PBLK_READ_RANDOM);
 	rqd.bio = bio;
 
 	if (pblk_submit_io_sync(pblk, &rqd)) {
diff --git a/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-recovery.c b/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-recovery.c
index e232e47e1353..cf629ab016ba 100644
--- a/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-recovery.c
+++ b/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-recovery.c
@@ -159,9 +159,7 @@ static int pblk_recov_read_oob(struct pblk *pblk, struct pblk_line *line,
 	rqd->dma_meta_list = dma_meta_list;
 
 	if (pblk_io_aligned(pblk, rq_ppas))
-		rqd->flags = pblk_set_read_mode(pblk, PBLK_READ_SEQUENTIAL);
-	else
-		rqd->flags = pblk_set_read_mode(pblk, PBLK_READ_RANDOM);
+		rqd->is_seq = 1;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < rqd->nr_ppas; ) {
 		struct ppa_addr ppa;
@@ -302,7 +300,7 @@ static int pblk_recov_pad_oob(struct pblk *pblk, struct pblk_line *line,
 
 	rqd->bio = bio;
 	rqd->opcode = NVM_OP_PWRITE;
-	rqd->flags = pblk_set_progr_mode(pblk, PBLK_WRITE);
+	rqd->is_seq = 1;
 	rqd->meta_list = meta_list;
 	rqd->nr_ppas = rq_ppas;
 	rqd->ppa_list = ppa_list;
@@ -436,9 +434,7 @@ static int pblk_recov_scan_all_oob(struct pblk *pblk, struct pblk_line *line,
 	rqd->dma_meta_list = dma_meta_list;
 
 	if (pblk_io_aligned(pblk, rq_ppas))
-		rqd->flags = pblk_set_read_mode(pblk, PBLK_READ_SEQUENTIAL);
-	else
-		rqd->flags = pblk_set_read_mode(pblk, PBLK_READ_RANDOM);
+		rqd->is_seq = 1;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < rqd->nr_ppas; ) {
 		struct ppa_addr ppa;
@@ -567,9 +563,7 @@ static int pblk_recov_scan_oob(struct pblk *pblk, struct pblk_line *line,
 	rqd->dma_meta_list = dma_meta_list;
 
 	if (pblk_io_aligned(pblk, rq_ppas))
-		rqd->flags = pblk_set_read_mode(pblk, PBLK_READ_SEQUENTIAL);
-	else
-		rqd->flags = pblk_set_read_mode(pblk, PBLK_READ_RANDOM);
+		rqd->is_seq = 1;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < rqd->nr_ppas; ) {
 		struct ppa_addr ppa;
diff --git a/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-write.c b/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-write.c
index ee774a86cf1e..508c63701eda 100644
--- a/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-write.c
+++ b/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-write.c
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ static int pblk_alloc_w_rq(struct pblk *pblk, struct nvm_rq *rqd,
 	/* Setup write request */
 	rqd->opcode = NVM_OP_PWRITE;
 	rqd->nr_ppas = nr_secs;
-	rqd->flags = pblk_set_progr_mode(pblk, PBLK_WRITE);
+	rqd->is_seq = 1;
 	rqd->private = pblk;
 	rqd->end_io = end_io;
 
diff --git a/drivers/lightnvm/pblk.h b/drivers/lightnvm/pblk.h
index 4760af7b6499..48b3035df3c4 100644
--- a/drivers/lightnvm/pblk.h
+++ b/drivers/lightnvm/pblk.h
@@ -1255,44 +1255,6 @@ static inline u32 pblk_calc_emeta_crc(struct pblk *pblk,
 	return crc;
 }
 
-static inline int pblk_set_progr_mode(struct pblk *pblk, int type)
-{
-	struct nvm_tgt_dev *dev = pblk->dev;
-	struct nvm_geo *geo = &dev->geo;
-	int flags;
-
-	if (geo->version == NVM_OCSSD_SPEC_20)
-		return 0;
-
-	flags = geo->pln_mode >> 1;
-
-	if (type == PBLK_WRITE)
-		flags |= NVM_IO_SCRAMBLE_ENABLE;
-
-	return flags;
-}
-
-enum {
-	PBLK_READ_RANDOM	= 0,
-	PBLK_READ_SEQUENTIAL	= 1,
-};
-
-static inline int pblk_set_read_mode(struct pblk *pblk, int type)
-{
-	struct nvm_tgt_dev *dev = pblk->dev;
-	struct nvm_geo *geo = &dev->geo;
-	int flags;
-
-	if (geo->version == NVM_OCSSD_SPEC_20)
-		return 0;
-
-	flags = NVM_IO_SUSPEND | NVM_IO_SCRAMBLE_ENABLE;
-	if (type == PBLK_READ_SEQUENTIAL)
-		flags |= geo->pln_mode >> 1;
-
-	return flags;
-}
-
 static inline int pblk_io_aligned(struct pblk *pblk, int nr_secs)
 {
 	return !(nr_secs % pblk->min_write_pgs);
diff --git a/include/linux/lightnvm.h b/include/linux/lightnvm.h
index e9e0d1c7eaf5..8acc2fe277d6 100644
--- a/include/linux/lightnvm.h
+++ b/include/linux/lightnvm.h
@@ -305,6 +305,8 @@ struct nvm_rq {
 	u64 ppa_status; /* ppa media status */
 	int error;
 
+	int is_seq; /* Sequential hint flag. 1.2 only */
+
 	void *private;
 };
 
