diff --git a/block/cfq-iosched.c b/block/cfq-iosched.c
index 3202c7e87fb3..fb2141ec205c 100644
--- a/block/cfq-iosched.c
+++ b/block/cfq-iosched.c
@@ -3675,12 +3675,11 @@ cfq_set_request(struct request_queue *q, struct request *rq, gfp_t gfp_mask)
 
 	cfqq->allocated[rw]++;
 
-	spin_unlock_irqrestore(q->queue_lock, flags);
-
 	cfqq->ref++;
 	rq->elevator_private[0] = cic;
 	rq->elevator_private[1] = cfqq;
 	rq->elevator_private[2] = cfq_ref_get_cfqg(cfqq->cfqg);
+	spin_unlock_irqrestore(q->queue_lock, flags);
 	return 0;
 
 queue_fail: