diff --git a/block/blk-cgroup.c b/block/blk-cgroup.c
index 3cffb68ba5d8..ac7702db0836 100644
--- a/block/blk-cgroup.c
+++ b/block/blk-cgroup.c
@@ -1559,6 +1559,31 @@ struct cgroup_subsys io_cgrp_subsys = {
 };
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(io_cgrp_subsys);
 
+/*
+ * Tear down per-blkg policy data for @pol on @q.
+ */
+static void blkcg_policy_teardown_pds(struct request_queue *q,
+				      const struct blkcg_policy *pol)
+{
+	struct blkcg_gq *blkg;
+
+	list_for_each_entry(blkg, &q->blkg_list, q_node) {
+		struct blkcg *blkcg = blkg->blkcg;
+		struct blkg_policy_data *pd;
+
+		spin_lock(&blkcg->lock);
+		pd = blkg->pd[pol->plid];
+		if (pd) {
+			if (pd->online && pol->pd_offline_fn)
+				pol->pd_offline_fn(pd);
+			pd->online = false;
+			pol->pd_free_fn(pd);
+			blkg->pd[pol->plid] = NULL;
+		}
+		spin_unlock(&blkcg->lock);
+	}
+}
+
 /**
  * blkcg_activate_policy - activate a blkcg policy on a gendisk
  * @disk: gendisk of interest
@@ -1620,9 +1645,10 @@ int blkcg_activate_policy(struct gendisk *disk, const struct blkcg_policy *pol)
 			 * GFP_NOWAIT failed.  Free the existing one and
 			 * prealloc for @blkg w/ GFP_KERNEL.
 			 */
+			if (!blkg_tryget(blkg))
+				continue;
 			if (pinned_blkg)
 				blkg_put(pinned_blkg);
-			blkg_get(blkg);
 			pinned_blkg = blkg;
 
 			spin_unlock_irq(&q->queue_lock);
@@ -1668,23 +1694,11 @@ int blkcg_activate_policy(struct gendisk *disk, const struct blkcg_policy *pol)
 
 enomem:
 	/* alloc failed, take down everything */
+	mutex_lock(&q->blkcg_mutex);
 	spin_lock_irq(&q->queue_lock);
-	list_for_each_entry(blkg, &q->blkg_list, q_node) {
-		struct blkcg *blkcg = blkg->blkcg;
-		struct blkg_policy_data *pd;
-
-		spin_lock(&blkcg->lock);
-		pd = blkg->pd[pol->plid];
-		if (pd) {
-			if (pd->online && pol->pd_offline_fn)
-				pol->pd_offline_fn(pd);
-			pd->online = false;
-			pol->pd_free_fn(pd);
-			blkg->pd[pol->plid] = NULL;
-		}
-		spin_unlock(&blkcg->lock);
-	}
+	blkcg_policy_teardown_pds(q, pol);
 	spin_unlock_irq(&q->queue_lock);
+	mutex_unlock(&q->blkcg_mutex);
 	ret = -ENOMEM;
 	goto out;
 }
@@ -1702,7 +1716,6 @@ void blkcg_deactivate_policy(struct gendisk *disk,
 			     const struct blkcg_policy *pol)
 {
 	struct request_queue *q = disk->queue;
-	struct blkcg_gq *blkg;
 	unsigned int memflags;
 
 	if (!blkcg_policy_enabled(q, pol))
@@ -1713,22 +1726,8 @@ void blkcg_deactivate_policy(struct gendisk *disk,
 
 	mutex_lock(&q->blkcg_mutex);
 	spin_lock_irq(&q->queue_lock);
-
 	__clear_bit(pol->plid, q->blkcg_pols);
-
-	list_for_each_entry(blkg, &q->blkg_list, q_node) {
-		struct blkcg *blkcg = blkg->blkcg;
-
-		spin_lock(&blkcg->lock);
-		if (blkg->pd[pol->plid]) {
-			if (blkg->pd[pol->plid]->online && pol->pd_offline_fn)
-				pol->pd_offline_fn(blkg->pd[pol->plid]);
-			pol->pd_free_fn(blkg->pd[pol->plid]);
-			blkg->pd[pol->plid] = NULL;
-		}
-		spin_unlock(&blkcg->lock);
-	}
-
+	blkcg_policy_teardown_pds(q, pol);
 	spin_unlock_irq(&q->queue_lock);
 	mutex_unlock(&q->blkcg_mutex);