diff --git a/block/blk-core.c b/block/blk-core.c
index dccdae09b7b6..da120fd257fa 100644
--- a/block/blk-core.c
+++ b/block/blk-core.c
@@ -306,6 +306,16 @@ void blk_clear_pm_only(struct request_queue *q)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(blk_clear_pm_only);
 
+/**
+ * blk_put_queue - decrement the request_queue refcount
+ * @q: the request_queue structure to decrement the refcount for
+ *
+ * Decrements the refcount of the request_queue kobject. When this reaches 0
+ * we'll have blk_release_queue() called.
+ *
+ * Context: Any context, but the last reference must not be dropped from
+ *          atomic context.
+ */
 void blk_put_queue(struct request_queue *q)
 {
 	kobject_put(&q->kobj);
@@ -337,9 +347,14 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(blk_set_queue_dying);
  *
  * Mark @q DYING, drain all pending requests, mark @q DEAD, destroy and
  * put it.  All future requests will be failed immediately with -ENODEV.
+ *
+ * Context: can sleep
  */
 void blk_cleanup_queue(struct request_queue *q)
 {
+	/* cannot be called from atomic context */
+	might_sleep();
+
 	WARN_ON_ONCE(blk_queue_registered(q));
 
 	/* mark @q DYING, no new request or merges will be allowed afterwards */
@@ -584,6 +599,14 @@ struct request_queue *blk_alloc_queue(make_request_fn make_request, int node_id)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(blk_alloc_queue);
 
+/**
+ * blk_get_queue - increment the request_queue refcount
+ * @q: the request_queue structure to increment the refcount for
+ *
+ * Increment the refcount of the request_queue kobject.
+ *
+ * Context: Any context.
+ */
 bool blk_get_queue(struct request_queue *q)
 {
 	if (likely(!blk_queue_dying(q))) {
diff --git a/block/blk-sysfs.c b/block/blk-sysfs.c
index fca9b158f4a0..5d0fc165a036 100644
--- a/block/blk-sysfs.c
+++ b/block/blk-sysfs.c
@@ -860,22 +860,32 @@ static void blk_exit_queue(struct request_queue *q)
 	bdi_put(q->backing_dev_info);
 }
 
-
 /**
- * __blk_release_queue - release a request queue
- * @work: pointer to the release_work member of the request queue to be released
+ * blk_release_queue - releases all allocated resources of the request_queue
+ * @kobj: pointer to a kobject, whose container is a request_queue
+ *
+ * This function releases all allocated resources of the request queue.
+ *
+ * The struct request_queue refcount is incremented with blk_get_queue() and
+ * decremented with blk_put_queue(). Once the refcount reaches 0 this function
+ * is called.
+ *
+ * For drivers that have a request_queue on a gendisk and added with
+ * __device_add_disk() the refcount to request_queue will reach 0 with
+ * the last put_disk() called by the driver. For drivers which don't use
+ * __device_add_disk() this happens with blk_cleanup_queue().
  *
- * Description:
- *     This function is called when a block device is being unregistered. The
- *     process of releasing a request queue starts with blk_cleanup_queue, which
- *     set the appropriate flags and then calls blk_put_queue, that decrements
- *     the reference counter of the request queue. Once the reference counter
- *     of the request queue reaches zero, blk_release_queue is called to release
- *     all allocated resources of the request queue.
+ * Drivers exist which depend on the release of the request_queue to be
+ * synchronous, it should not be deferred.
+ *
+ * Context: can sleep
  */
-static void __blk_release_queue(struct work_struct *work)
+static void blk_release_queue(struct kobject *kobj)
 {
-	struct request_queue *q = container_of(work, typeof(*q), release_work);
+	struct request_queue *q =
+		container_of(kobj, struct request_queue, kobj);
+
+	might_sleep();
 
 	if (test_bit(QUEUE_FLAG_POLL_STATS, &q->queue_flags))
 		blk_stat_remove_callback(q, q->poll_cb);
@@ -904,15 +914,6 @@ static void __blk_release_queue(struct work_struct *work)
 	call_rcu(&q->rcu_head, blk_free_queue_rcu);
 }
 
-static void blk_release_queue(struct kobject *kobj)
-{
-	struct request_queue *q =
-		container_of(kobj, struct request_queue, kobj);
-
-	INIT_WORK(&q->release_work, __blk_release_queue);
-	schedule_work(&q->release_work);
-}
-
 static const struct sysfs_ops queue_sysfs_ops = {
 	.show	= queue_attr_show,
 	.store	= queue_attr_store,
diff --git a/block/genhd.c b/block/genhd.c
index c05d509877fa..901567d70390 100644
--- a/block/genhd.c
+++ b/block/genhd.c
@@ -897,11 +897,32 @@ static void invalidate_partition(struct gendisk *disk, int partno)
 	bdput(bdev);
 }
 
+/**
+ * del_gendisk - remove the gendisk
+ * @disk: the struct gendisk to remove
+ *
+ * Removes the gendisk and all its associated resources. This deletes the
+ * partitions associated with the gendisk, and unregisters the associated
+ * request_queue.
+ *
+ * This is the counter to the respective __device_add_disk() call.
+ *
+ * The final removal of the struct gendisk happens when its refcount reaches 0
+ * with put_disk(), which should be called after del_gendisk(), if
+ * __device_add_disk() was used.
+ *
+ * Drivers exist which depend on the release of the gendisk to be synchronous,
+ * it should not be deferred.
+ *
+ * Context: can sleep
+ */
 void del_gendisk(struct gendisk *disk)
 {
 	struct disk_part_iter piter;
 	struct hd_struct *part;
 
+	might_sleep();
+
 	blk_integrity_del(disk);
 	disk_del_events(disk);
 
@@ -992,11 +1013,15 @@ static ssize_t disk_badblocks_store(struct device *dev,
  *
  * This function gets the structure containing partitioning
  * information for the given device @devt.
+ *
+ * Context: can sleep
  */
 struct gendisk *get_gendisk(dev_t devt, int *partno)
 {
 	struct gendisk *disk = NULL;
 
+	might_sleep();
+
 	if (MAJOR(devt) != BLOCK_EXT_MAJOR) {
 		struct kobject *kobj;
 
@@ -1528,10 +1553,31 @@ int disk_expand_part_tbl(struct gendisk *disk, int partno)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+/**
+ * disk_release - releases all allocated resources of the gendisk
+ * @dev: the device representing this disk
+ *
+ * This function releases all allocated resources of the gendisk.
+ *
+ * The struct gendisk refcount is incremented with get_gendisk() or
+ * get_disk_and_module(), and its refcount is decremented with
+ * put_disk_and_module() or put_disk(). Once the refcount reaches 0 this
+ * function is called.
+ *
+ * Drivers which used __device_add_disk() have a gendisk with a request_queue
+ * assigned. Since the request_queue sits on top of the gendisk for these
+ * drivers we also call blk_put_queue() for them, and we expect the
+ * request_queue refcount to reach 0 at this point, and so the request_queue
+ * will also be freed prior to the disk.
+ *
+ * Context: can sleep
+ */
 static void disk_release(struct device *dev)
 {
 	struct gendisk *disk = dev_to_disk(dev);
 
+	might_sleep();
+
 	blk_free_devt(dev->devt);
 	disk_release_events(disk);
 	kfree(disk->random);
@@ -1737,6 +1783,15 @@ struct gendisk *__alloc_disk_node(int minors, int node_id)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(__alloc_disk_node);
 
+/**
+ * get_disk_and_module - increments the gendisk and gendisk fops module refcount
+ * @disk: the struct gendisk to to increment the refcount for
+ *
+ * This increments the refcount for the struct gendisk, and the gendisk's
+ * fops module owner.
+ *
+ * Context: Any context.
+ */
 struct kobject *get_disk_and_module(struct gendisk *disk)
 {
 	struct module *owner;
@@ -1757,6 +1812,16 @@ struct kobject *get_disk_and_module(struct gendisk *disk)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(get_disk_and_module);
 
+/**
+ * put_disk - decrements the gendisk refcount
+ * @disk: the struct gendisk to to decrement the refcount for
+ *
+ * This decrements the refcount for the struct gendisk. When this reaches 0
+ * we'll have disk_release() called.
+ *
+ * Context: Any context, but the last reference must not be dropped from
+ *          atomic context.
+ */
 void put_disk(struct gendisk *disk)
 {
 	if (disk)
@@ -1764,9 +1829,15 @@ void put_disk(struct gendisk *disk)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(put_disk);
 
-/*
+/**
+ * put_disk_and_module - decrements the module and gendisk refcount
+ * @disk: the struct gendisk to to decrement the refcount for
+ *
  * This is a counterpart of get_disk_and_module() and thus also of
  * get_gendisk().
+ *
+ * Context: Any context, but the last reference must not be dropped from
+ *          atomic context.
  */
 void put_disk_and_module(struct gendisk *disk)
 {
diff --git a/include/linux/blkdev.h b/include/linux/blkdev.h
index f00bd4042295..3122a93c7277 100644
--- a/include/linux/blkdev.h
+++ b/include/linux/blkdev.h
@@ -571,8 +571,6 @@ struct request_queue {
 
 	size_t			cmd_size;
 
-	struct work_struct	release_work;
-
 #define BLK_MAX_WRITE_HINTS	5
 	u64			write_hints[BLK_MAX_WRITE_HINTS];
 };
