diff --git a/drivers/scsi/lpfc/lpfc_els.c b/drivers/scsi/lpfc/lpfc_els.c
index 7398350b08b41a76ff38ce3d7843d33a6288d740..a6eae7c31bf316e1d2c04cc6a2494841449f4ab1 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/lpfc/lpfc_els.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/lpfc/lpfc_els.c
@@ -3173,23 +3173,23 @@ lpfc_els_retry_delay(struct timer_list *t)
 	unsigned long flags;
 	struct lpfc_work_evt  *evtp = &ndlp->els_retry_evt;
 
+	/* Hold a node reference for outstanding queued work */
+	if (!lpfc_nlp_get(ndlp))
+		return;
+
 	spin_lock_irqsave(&phba->hbalock, flags);
 	if (!list_empty(&evtp->evt_listp)) {
 		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&phba->hbalock, flags);
+		lpfc_nlp_put(ndlp);
 		return;
 	}
 
-	/* We need to hold the node by incrementing the reference
-	 * count until the queued work is done
-	 */
-	evtp->evt_arg1  = lpfc_nlp_get(ndlp);
-	if (evtp->evt_arg1) {
-		evtp->evt = LPFC_EVT_ELS_RETRY;
-		list_add_tail(&evtp->evt_listp, &phba->work_list);
-		lpfc_worker_wake_up(phba);
-	}
+	evtp->evt_arg1 = ndlp;
+	evtp->evt = LPFC_EVT_ELS_RETRY;
+	list_add_tail(&evtp->evt_listp, &phba->work_list);
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&phba->hbalock, flags);
-	return;
+
+	lpfc_worker_wake_up(phba);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/drivers/scsi/lpfc/lpfc_hbadisc.c b/drivers/scsi/lpfc/lpfc_hbadisc.c
index 8be1c0b4e2a869358cc868cd83ab0ef815f6111f..4949f4870c8a08a0d31b02838c15167d1349a1c3 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/lpfc/lpfc_hbadisc.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/lpfc/lpfc_hbadisc.c
@@ -183,7 +183,9 @@ lpfc_dev_loss_tmo_callbk(struct fc_rport *rport)
 	if (evtp->evt_arg1) {
 		evtp->evt = LPFC_EVT_DEV_LOSS;
 		list_add_tail(&evtp->evt_listp, &phba->work_list);
+		spin_unlock_irq(&phba->hbalock);
 		lpfc_worker_wake_up(phba);
+		return;
 	}
 	spin_unlock_irq(&phba->hbalock);
 
diff --git a/drivers/scsi/lpfc/lpfc_sli.c b/drivers/scsi/lpfc/lpfc_sli.c
index 86d31fe324b46a32f9d593184d5272509fd60482..89340a74d1b50b0131af266d9363946f9e049b02 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/lpfc/lpfc_sli.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/lpfc/lpfc_sli.c
@@ -1104,9 +1104,9 @@ lpfc_set_rrq_active(struct lpfc_hba *phba, struct lpfc_nodelist *ndlp,
 	empty = list_empty(&phba->active_rrq_list);
 	list_add_tail(&rrq->list, &phba->active_rrq_list);
 	phba->hba_flag |= HBA_RRQ_ACTIVE;
+	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&phba->hbalock, iflags);
 	if (empty)
 		lpfc_worker_wake_up(phba);
-	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&phba->hbalock, iflags);
 	return 0;
 out:
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&phba->hbalock, iflags);