return NULL;
        memset(req, 0, sizeof(*req));
 
-       req->private_bio = bio_alloc_clone(device->ldev->backing_bdev, bio_src,
-                                          GFP_NOIO, &drbd_io_bio_set);
-       req->private_bio->bi_private = req;
-       req->private_bio->bi_end_io = drbd_request_endio;
-
        req->rq_state = (bio_data_dir(bio_src) == WRITE ? RQ_WRITE : 0)
                      | (bio_op(bio_src) == REQ_OP_WRITE_ZEROES ? RQ_ZEROES : 0)
                      | (bio_op(bio_src) == REQ_OP_DISCARD ? RQ_UNMAP : 0);
        /* Update disk stats */
        req->start_jif = bio_start_io_acct(req->master_bio);
 
-       if (!get_ldev(device)) {
-               bio_put(req->private_bio);
-               req->private_bio = NULL;
+       if (get_ldev(device)) {
+               req->private_bio = bio_alloc_clone(device->ldev->backing_bdev,
+                                                  bio, GFP_NOIO,
+                                                  &drbd_io_bio_set);
+               req->private_bio->bi_private = req;
+               req->private_bio->bi_end_io = drbd_request_endio;
        }
 
        /* process discards always from our submitter thread */