return NULL;
 }
 
-static struct nullb_cmd *alloc_cmd(struct nullb_queue *nq, int can_wait)
+static struct nullb_cmd *alloc_cmd(struct nullb_queue *nq, struct bio *bio)
 {
        struct nullb_cmd *cmd;
        DEFINE_WAIT(wait);
 
-       cmd = __alloc_cmd(nq);
-       if (cmd || !can_wait)
-               return cmd;
-
        do {
-               prepare_to_wait(&nq->wait, &wait, TASK_UNINTERRUPTIBLE);
+               /*
+                * This avoids multiple return statements, multiple calls to
+                * __alloc_cmd() and a fast path call to prepare_to_wait().
+                */
                cmd = __alloc_cmd(nq);
-               if (cmd)
-                       break;
-
+               if (cmd) {
+                       cmd->bio = bio;
+                       return cmd;
+               }
+               prepare_to_wait(&nq->wait, &wait, TASK_UNINTERRUPTIBLE);
                io_schedule();
+               finish_wait(&nq->wait, &wait);
        } while (1);
-
-       finish_wait(&nq->wait, &wait);
-       return cmd;
 }
 
 static void end_cmd(struct nullb_cmd *cmd)
        sector_t nr_sectors = bio_sectors(bio);
        struct nullb *nullb = bio->bi_bdev->bd_disk->private_data;
        struct nullb_queue *nq = nullb_to_queue(nullb);
-       struct nullb_cmd *cmd;
-
-       cmd = alloc_cmd(nq, 1);
-       cmd->bio = bio;
 
-       null_handle_cmd(cmd, sector, nr_sectors, bio_op(bio));
+       null_handle_cmd(alloc_cmd(nq, bio), sector, nr_sectors, bio_op(bio));
 }
 
 static bool should_timeout_request(struct request *rq)