diff --git a/block/blk-core.c b/block/blk-core.c
index 99d8b9812b18..90de50082146 100644
--- a/block/blk-core.c
+++ b/block/blk-core.c
@@ -1144,8 +1144,7 @@ void __blk_flush_plug(struct blk_plug *plug, bool from_schedule)
 {
 	if (!list_empty(&plug->cb_list))
 		flush_plug_callbacks(plug, from_schedule);
-	if (!rq_list_empty(plug->mq_list))
-		blk_mq_flush_plug_list(plug, from_schedule);
+	blk_mq_flush_plug_list(plug, from_schedule);
 	/*
 	 * Unconditionally flush out cached requests, even if the unplug
 	 * event came from schedule. Since we know hold references to the
diff --git a/block/blk-mq.c b/block/blk-mq.c
index d50b1d62a3d9..b04ff6f56926 100644
--- a/block/blk-mq.c
+++ b/block/blk-mq.c
@@ -2754,7 +2754,14 @@ void blk_mq_flush_plug_list(struct blk_plug *plug, bool from_schedule)
 {
 	struct request *rq;
 
-	if (rq_list_empty(plug->mq_list))
+	/*
+	 * We may have been called recursively midway through handling
+	 * plug->mq_list via a schedule() in the driver's queue_rq() callback.
+	 * To avoid mq_list changing under our feet, clear rq_count early and
+	 * bail out specifically if rq_count is 0 rather than checking
+	 * whether the mq_list is empty.
+	 */
+	if (plug->rq_count == 0)
 		return;
 	plug->rq_count = 0;