diff --git a/drivers/block/nvme-core.c b/drivers/block/nvme-core.c
index beb8d48f8560..5fcb993fc6c9 100644
--- a/drivers/block/nvme-core.c
+++ b/drivers/block/nvme-core.c
@@ -1183,6 +1183,8 @@ static void nvme_disable_queue(struct nvme_dev *dev, int qid)
 		adapter_delete_sq(dev, qid);
 		adapter_delete_cq(dev, qid);
 	}
+	if (!qid && dev->admin_q)
+		blk_mq_freeze_queue_start(dev->admin_q);
 	nvme_clear_queue(nvmeq);
 }
 
@@ -1400,7 +1402,8 @@ static int nvme_alloc_admin_tags(struct nvme_dev *dev)
 			nvme_dev_remove_admin(dev);
 			return -ENODEV;
 		}
-	}
+	} else
+		blk_mq_unfreeze_queue(dev->admin_q);
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -1459,19 +1462,13 @@ static int nvme_configure_admin_queue(struct nvme_dev *dev)
 	if (result)
 		goto free_nvmeq;
 
-	result = nvme_alloc_admin_tags(dev);
-	if (result)
-		goto free_nvmeq;
-
 	nvmeq->cq_vector = 0;
 	result = queue_request_irq(dev, nvmeq, nvmeq->irqname);
 	if (result)
-		goto free_tags;
+		goto free_nvmeq;
 
 	return result;
 
- free_tags:
-	nvme_dev_remove_admin(dev);
  free_nvmeq:
 	nvme_free_queues(dev, 0);
 	return result;
@@ -2256,13 +2253,18 @@ static void nvme_wait_dq(struct nvme_delq_ctx *dq, struct nvme_dev *dev)
 			break;
 		if (!schedule_timeout(ADMIN_TIMEOUT) ||
 					fatal_signal_pending(current)) {
+			/*
+			 * Disable the controller first since we can't trust it
+			 * at this point, but leave the admin queue enabled
+			 * until all queue deletion requests are flushed.
+			 * FIXME: This may take a while if there are more h/w
+			 * queues than admin tags.
+			 */
 			set_current_state(TASK_RUNNING);
-
 			nvme_disable_ctrl(dev, readq(&dev->bar->cap));
-			nvme_disable_queue(dev, 0);
-
-			send_sig(SIGKILL, dq->worker->task, 1);
+			nvme_clear_queue(dev->queues[0]);
 			flush_kthread_worker(dq->worker);
+			nvme_disable_queue(dev, 0);
 			return;
 		}
 	}
@@ -2339,7 +2341,6 @@ static void nvme_del_queue_start(struct kthread_work *work)
 {
 	struct nvme_queue *nvmeq = container_of(work, struct nvme_queue,
 							cmdinfo.work);
-	allow_signal(SIGKILL);
 	if (nvme_delete_sq(nvmeq))
 		nvme_del_queue_end(nvmeq);
 }
@@ -2607,15 +2608,20 @@ static int nvme_dev_start(struct nvme_dev *dev)
 	}
 
 	nvme_init_queue(dev->queues[0], 0);
+	result = nvme_alloc_admin_tags(dev);
+	if (result)
+		goto disable;
 
 	result = nvme_setup_io_queues(dev);
 	if (result)
-		goto disable;
+		goto free_tags;
 
 	nvme_set_irq_hints(dev);
 
 	return result;
 
+ free_tags:
+	nvme_dev_remove_admin(dev);
  disable:
 	nvme_disable_queue(dev, 0);
 	nvme_dev_list_remove(dev);