diff --git a/block/blk-core.c b/block/blk-core.c
index bc2b7c5004e1..accff29ad674 100644
--- a/block/blk-core.c
+++ b/block/blk-core.c
@@ -380,13 +380,16 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(blk_stop_queue);
  *     that its ->make_request_fn will not re-add plugging prior to calling
  *     this function.
  *
+ *     This function does not cancel any asynchronous activity arising
+ *     out of elevator or throttling code. That would require elevaotor_exit()
+ *     and blk_throtl_exit() to be called with queue lock initialized.
+ *
  */
 void blk_sync_queue(struct request_queue *q)
 {
 	del_timer_sync(&q->unplug_timer);
 	del_timer_sync(&q->timeout);
 	cancel_work_sync(&q->unplug_work);
-	throtl_shutdown_timer_wq(q);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(blk_sync_queue);
 
@@ -469,6 +472,8 @@ void blk_cleanup_queue(struct request_queue *q)
 	if (q->elevator)
 		elevator_exit(q->elevator);
 
+	blk_throtl_exit(q);
+
 	blk_put_queue(q);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(blk_cleanup_queue);
diff --git a/block/blk-sysfs.c b/block/blk-sysfs.c
index 41fb69150b4d..261c75c665ae 100644
--- a/block/blk-sysfs.c
+++ b/block/blk-sysfs.c
@@ -471,8 +471,6 @@ static void blk_release_queue(struct kobject *kobj)
 
 	blk_sync_queue(q);
 
-	blk_throtl_exit(q);
-
 	if (rl->rq_pool)
 		mempool_destroy(rl->rq_pool);
 
diff --git a/block/blk-throttle.c b/block/blk-throttle.c
index a89043a3caa4..c0f623742165 100644
--- a/block/blk-throttle.c
+++ b/block/blk-throttle.c
@@ -965,7 +965,7 @@ static void throtl_update_blkio_group_write_iops(void *key,
 	throtl_schedule_delayed_work(td->queue, 0);
 }
 
-void throtl_shutdown_timer_wq(struct request_queue *q)
+static void throtl_shutdown_wq(struct request_queue *q)
 {
 	struct throtl_data *td = q->td;
 
@@ -1099,7 +1099,7 @@ void blk_throtl_exit(struct request_queue *q)
 
 	BUG_ON(!td);
 
-	throtl_shutdown_timer_wq(q);
+	throtl_shutdown_wq(q);
 
 	spin_lock_irq(q->queue_lock);
 	throtl_release_tgs(td);
@@ -1129,7 +1129,7 @@ void blk_throtl_exit(struct request_queue *q)
 	 * update limits through cgroup and another work got queued, cancel
 	 * it.
 	 */
-	throtl_shutdown_timer_wq(q);
+	throtl_shutdown_wq(q);
 	throtl_td_free(td);
 }
 
diff --git a/include/linux/blkdev.h b/include/linux/blkdev.h
index e3ee74fc5903..23fb92506c31 100644
--- a/include/linux/blkdev.h
+++ b/include/linux/blkdev.h
@@ -1144,7 +1144,6 @@ extern int blk_throtl_init(struct request_queue *q);
 extern void blk_throtl_exit(struct request_queue *q);
 extern int blk_throtl_bio(struct request_queue *q, struct bio **bio);
 extern void throtl_schedule_delayed_work(struct request_queue *q, unsigned long delay);
-extern void throtl_shutdown_timer_wq(struct request_queue *q);
 #else /* CONFIG_BLK_DEV_THROTTLING */
 static inline int blk_throtl_bio(struct request_queue *q, struct bio **bio)
 {
@@ -1154,7 +1153,6 @@ static inline int blk_throtl_bio(struct request_queue *q, struct bio **bio)
 static inline int blk_throtl_init(struct request_queue *q) { return 0; }
 static inline int blk_throtl_exit(struct request_queue *q) { return 0; }
 static inline void throtl_schedule_delayed_work(struct request_queue *q, unsigned long delay) {}
-static inline void throtl_shutdown_timer_wq(struct request_queue *q) {}
 #endif /* CONFIG_BLK_DEV_THROTTLING */
 
 #define MODULE_ALIAS_BLOCKDEV(major,minor) \