diff --git a/drivers/md/bcache/writeback.c b/drivers/md/bcache/writeback.c
index 262f7ef20992..21081febcb59 100644
--- a/drivers/md/bcache/writeback.c
+++ b/drivers/md/bcache/writeback.c
@@ -833,6 +833,7 @@ int bch_cached_dev_writeback_start(struct cached_dev *dc)
 					      "bcache_writeback");
 	if (IS_ERR(dc->writeback_thread)) {
 		cached_dev_put(dc);
+		destroy_workqueue(dc->writeback_write_wq);
 		return PTR_ERR(dc->writeback_thread);
 	}
 	dc->writeback_running = true;