diff --git a/drivers/block/null_blk.c b/drivers/block/null_blk.c
index 65cd61a4145e..d7141d5ef4ff 100644
--- a/drivers/block/null_blk.c
+++ b/drivers/block/null_blk.c
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ struct nullb_queue {
 	wait_queue_head_t wait;
 	unsigned int queue_depth;
 
+	struct nullb *dev;
 	struct nullb_cmd *cmds;
 };
 
@@ -153,6 +154,13 @@ static void put_tag(struct nullb_queue *nq, unsigned int tag)
 
 	if (waitqueue_active(&nq->wait))
 		wake_up(&nq->wait);
+
+	if (queue_mode == NULL_Q_RQ) {
+		struct nullb *nullb = nq->dev;
+
+		if (blk_queue_stopped(nullb->q))
+			blk_start_queue(nullb->q);
+	}
 }
 
 static unsigned int get_tag(struct nullb_queue *nq)
@@ -196,7 +204,7 @@ static struct nullb_cmd *alloc_cmd(struct nullb_queue *nq, int can_wait)
 
 	cmd = __alloc_cmd(nq);
 	if (cmd || !can_wait)
-		return cmd;
+		goto out;
 
 	do {
 		prepare_to_wait(&nq->wait, &wait, TASK_UNINTERRUPTIBLE);
@@ -208,6 +216,11 @@ static struct nullb_cmd *alloc_cmd(struct nullb_queue *nq, int can_wait)
 	} while (1);
 
 	finish_wait(&nq->wait, &wait);
+out:
+	if (!cmd) {
+		BUG_ON(queue_mode != NULL_Q_RQ);
+		blk_stop_queue(nq->dev->q);
+	}
 	return cmd;
 }
 
@@ -372,6 +385,7 @@ static void null_init_queue(struct nullb *nullb, struct nullb_queue *nq)
 
 	init_waitqueue_head(&nq->wait);
 	nq->queue_depth = nullb->queue_depth;
+	nq->dev = nullb;
 }
 
 static int null_init_hctx(struct blk_mq_hw_ctx *hctx, void *data,