diff --git a/drivers/ata/libata-eh.c b/drivers/ata/libata-eh.c
index fefea7470e51..3c6ad7d949c1 100644
--- a/drivers/ata/libata-eh.c
+++ b/drivers/ata/libata-eh.c
@@ -1800,10 +1800,8 @@ static void ata_eh_link_autopsy(struct ata_link *link)
 			qc->err_mask &= ~AC_ERR_OTHER;
 
 		/* SENSE_VALID trumps dev/unknown error and revalidation */
-		if (qc->flags & ATA_QCFLAG_SENSE_VALID) {
+		if (qc->flags & ATA_QCFLAG_SENSE_VALID)
 			qc->err_mask &= ~(AC_ERR_DEV | AC_ERR_OTHER);
-			ehc->i.action &= ~ATA_EH_REVALIDATE;
-		}
 
 		/* accumulate error info */
 		ehc->i.dev = qc->dev;
@@ -1816,7 +1814,8 @@ static void ata_eh_link_autopsy(struct ata_link *link)
 	if (ap->pflags & ATA_PFLAG_FROZEN ||
 	    all_err_mask & (AC_ERR_HSM | AC_ERR_TIMEOUT))
 		ehc->i.action |= ATA_EH_SOFTRESET;
-	else if (all_err_mask)
+	else if ((is_io && all_err_mask) ||
+		 (!is_io && (all_err_mask & ~AC_ERR_DEV)))
 		ehc->i.action |= ATA_EH_REVALIDATE;
 
 	/* if we have offending qcs and the associated failed device */
@@ -2697,8 +2696,15 @@ void ata_eh_finish(struct ata_port *ap)
 			/* FIXME: Once EH migration is complete,
 			 * generate sense data in this function,
 			 * considering both err_mask and tf.
+			 *
+			 * There's no point in retrying invalid
+			 * (detected by libata) and non-IO device
+			 * errors (rejected by device).  Finish them
+			 * immediately.
 			 */
-			if (qc->err_mask & AC_ERR_INVALID)
+			if ((qc->err_mask & AC_ERR_INVALID) ||
+			    (!(qc->flags & ATA_QCFLAG_IO) &&
+			     qc->err_mask == AC_ERR_DEV))
 				ata_eh_qc_complete(qc);
 			else
 				ata_eh_qc_retry(qc);
diff --git a/drivers/ata/sata_sil24.c b/drivers/ata/sata_sil24.c
index 3c481e0e0c03..187dcb02c681 100644
--- a/drivers/ata/sata_sil24.c
+++ b/drivers/ata/sata_sil24.c
@@ -265,11 +265,11 @@ static struct sil24_cerr_info {
 	unsigned int err_mask, action;
 	const char *desc;
 } sil24_cerr_db[] = {
-	[0]			= { AC_ERR_DEV, ATA_EH_REVALIDATE,
+	[0]			= { AC_ERR_DEV, 0,
 				    "device error" },
-	[PORT_CERR_DEV]		= { AC_ERR_DEV, ATA_EH_REVALIDATE,
+	[PORT_CERR_DEV]		= { AC_ERR_DEV, 0,
 				    "device error via D2H FIS" },
-	[PORT_CERR_SDB]		= { AC_ERR_DEV, ATA_EH_REVALIDATE,
+	[PORT_CERR_SDB]		= { AC_ERR_DEV, 0,
 				    "device error via SDB FIS" },
 	[PORT_CERR_DATA]	= { AC_ERR_ATA_BUS, ATA_EH_SOFTRESET,
 				    "error in data FIS" },