sci_change_state(&ireq->sm, SCI_REQ_ABORTING);
                return SCI_SUCCESS;
        case SCI_REQ_TASK_WAIT_TC_RESP:
+               /* The task frame was already confirmed to have been
+                * sent by the SCU HW.  Since the state machine is
+                * now only waiting for the task response itself,
+                * abort the request and complete it immediately
+                * and don't wait for the task response.
+                */
                sci_change_state(&ireq->sm, SCI_REQ_ABORTING);
                sci_change_state(&ireq->sm, SCI_REQ_COMPLETED);
                return SCI_SUCCESS;
        case SCI_REQ_ABORTING:
-               sci_change_state(&ireq->sm, SCI_REQ_COMPLETED);
-               return SCI_SUCCESS;
+               /* If a request has a termination requested twice, return
+                * a failure indication, since HW confirmation of the first
+                * abort is still outstanding.
+                */
        case SCI_REQ_COMPLETED:
        default:
                dev_warn(&ireq->owning_controller->pdev->dev,