diff --git a/arch/s390/include/asm/qdio.h b/arch/s390/include/asm/qdio.h
index 46e96bc1f5a1..350e7ee5952d 100644
--- a/arch/s390/include/asm/qdio.h
+++ b/arch/s390/include/asm/qdio.h
@@ -361,6 +361,7 @@ struct qdio_initialize {
 	qdio_handler_t *input_handler;
 	qdio_handler_t *output_handler;
 	void (*queue_start_poll) (struct ccw_device *, int, unsigned long);
+	int scan_threshold;
 	unsigned long int_parm;
 	void **input_sbal_addr_array;
 	void **output_sbal_addr_array;
diff --git a/drivers/s390/cio/qdio.h b/drivers/s390/cio/qdio.h
index 9b6ea3ca3ece..a77aa9109cfd 100644
--- a/drivers/s390/cio/qdio.h
+++ b/drivers/s390/cio/qdio.h
@@ -249,6 +249,8 @@ struct qdio_output_q {
 	int use_enh_siga;
 	/* timer to check for more outbound work */
 	struct timer_list timer;
+	/* used SBALs before tasklet schedule */
+	int scan_threshold;
 };
 
 /*
diff --git a/drivers/s390/cio/qdio_main.c b/drivers/s390/cio/qdio_main.c
index 6621de94f3ad..4c0109900c74 100644
--- a/drivers/s390/cio/qdio_main.c
+++ b/drivers/s390/cio/qdio_main.c
@@ -1492,7 +1492,13 @@ static int handle_outbound(struct qdio_q *q, unsigned int callflags,
 		qperf_inc(q, fast_requeue);
 
 out:
-	tasklet_schedule(&q->tasklet);
+	/* in case of SIGA errors we must process the error immediately */
+	if (used >= q->u.out.scan_threshold || rc)
+		tasklet_schedule(&q->tasklet);
+	else
+		/* free the SBALs in case of no further traffic */
+		if (!timer_pending(&q->u.out.timer))
+			mod_timer(&q->u.out.timer, jiffies + HZ);
 	return rc;
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/s390/cio/qdio_setup.c b/drivers/s390/cio/qdio_setup.c
index a13cf7ec64b2..635f35dc8466 100644
--- a/drivers/s390/cio/qdio_setup.c
+++ b/drivers/s390/cio/qdio_setup.c
@@ -178,6 +178,7 @@ static void setup_queues(struct qdio_irq *irq_ptr,
 		setup_queues_misc(q, irq_ptr, qdio_init->output_handler, i);
 
 		q->is_input_q = 0;
+		q->u.out.scan_threshold = qdio_init->scan_threshold;
 		setup_storage_lists(q, irq_ptr, output_sbal_array, i);
 		output_sbal_array += QDIO_MAX_BUFFERS_PER_Q;
 
diff --git a/drivers/s390/net/qeth_core_main.c b/drivers/s390/net/qeth_core_main.c
index e6b2df0e73f5..f65320babf71 100644
--- a/drivers/s390/net/qeth_core_main.c
+++ b/drivers/s390/net/qeth_core_main.c
@@ -3831,6 +3831,8 @@ static int qeth_qdio_establish(struct qeth_card *card)
 	init_data.int_parm               = (unsigned long) card;
 	init_data.input_sbal_addr_array  = (void **) in_sbal_ptrs;
 	init_data.output_sbal_addr_array = (void **) out_sbal_ptrs;
+	init_data.scan_threshold =
+		(card->info.type == QETH_CARD_TYPE_IQD) ? 8 : 32;
 
 	if (atomic_cmpxchg(&card->qdio.state, QETH_QDIO_ALLOCATED,
 		QETH_QDIO_ESTABLISHED) == QETH_QDIO_ALLOCATED) {
diff --git a/drivers/s390/scsi/zfcp_qdio.c b/drivers/s390/scsi/zfcp_qdio.c
index a0554beb4179..5ae40ef586a8 100644
--- a/drivers/s390/scsi/zfcp_qdio.c
+++ b/drivers/s390/scsi/zfcp_qdio.c
@@ -292,6 +292,8 @@ static void zfcp_qdio_setup_init_data(struct qdio_initialize *id,
 	id->int_parm = (unsigned long) qdio;
 	id->input_sbal_addr_array = (void **) (qdio->res_q);
 	id->output_sbal_addr_array = (void **) (qdio->req_q);
+	id->scan_threshold =
+		QDIO_MAX_BUFFERS_PER_Q - ZFCP_QDIO_MAX_SBALS_PER_REQ * 2;
 }
 
 /**