diff --git a/drivers/dma/idxd/dma.c b/drivers/dma/idxd/dma.c
index c39e9483206a..1ea663215909 100644
--- a/drivers/dma/idxd/dma.c
+++ b/drivers/dma/idxd/dma.c
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@ static inline struct idxd_wq *to_idxd_wq(struct dma_chan *c)
 }
 
 void idxd_dma_complete_txd(struct idxd_desc *desc,
-			   enum idxd_complete_type comp_type)
+			   enum idxd_complete_type comp_type,
+			   bool free_desc)
 {
 	struct dma_async_tx_descriptor *tx;
 	struct dmaengine_result res;
@@ -44,6 +45,9 @@ void idxd_dma_complete_txd(struct idxd_desc *desc,
 		tx->callback = NULL;
 		tx->callback_result = NULL;
 	}
+
+	if (free_desc)
+		idxd_free_desc(desc->wq, desc);
 }
 
 static void op_flag_setup(unsigned long flags, u32 *desc_flags)
@@ -153,8 +157,10 @@ static dma_cookie_t idxd_dma_tx_submit(struct dma_async_tx_descriptor *tx)
 	cookie = dma_cookie_assign(tx);
 
 	rc = idxd_submit_desc(wq, desc);
-	if (rc < 0)
+	if (rc < 0) {
+		idxd_free_desc(wq, desc);
 		return rc;
+	}
 
 	return cookie;
 }
diff --git a/drivers/dma/idxd/idxd.h b/drivers/dma/idxd/idxd.h
index 0cf8d3145870..3d600f8ee90b 100644
--- a/drivers/dma/idxd/idxd.h
+++ b/drivers/dma/idxd/idxd.h
@@ -579,7 +579,7 @@ int idxd_register_dma_channel(struct idxd_wq *wq);
 void idxd_unregister_dma_channel(struct idxd_wq *wq);
 void idxd_parse_completion_status(u8 status, enum dmaengine_tx_result *res);
 void idxd_dma_complete_txd(struct idxd_desc *desc,
-			   enum idxd_complete_type comp_type);
+			   enum idxd_complete_type comp_type, bool free_desc);
 
 /* cdev */
 int idxd_cdev_register(void);
@@ -603,10 +603,4 @@ static inline void perfmon_init(void) {}
 static inline void perfmon_exit(void) {}
 #endif
 
-static inline void complete_desc(struct idxd_desc *desc, enum idxd_complete_type reason)
-{
-	idxd_dma_complete_txd(desc, reason);
-	idxd_free_desc(desc->wq, desc);
-}
-
 #endif
diff --git a/drivers/dma/idxd/init.c b/drivers/dma/idxd/init.c
index eb09bc591c31..ef549cef8480 100644
--- a/drivers/dma/idxd/init.c
+++ b/drivers/dma/idxd/init.c
@@ -717,10 +717,8 @@ static void idxd_flush_pending_llist(struct idxd_irq_entry *ie)
 	if (!head)
 		return;
 
-	llist_for_each_entry_safe(desc, itr, head, llnode) {
-		idxd_dma_complete_txd(desc, IDXD_COMPLETE_ABORT);
-		idxd_free_desc(desc->wq, desc);
-	}
+	llist_for_each_entry_safe(desc, itr, head, llnode)
+		idxd_dma_complete_txd(desc, IDXD_COMPLETE_ABORT, true);
 }
 
 static void idxd_flush_work_list(struct idxd_irq_entry *ie)
@@ -729,8 +727,7 @@ static void idxd_flush_work_list(struct idxd_irq_entry *ie)
 
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(desc, iter, &ie->work_list, list) {
 		list_del(&desc->list);
-		idxd_dma_complete_txd(desc, IDXD_COMPLETE_ABORT);
-		idxd_free_desc(desc->wq, desc);
+		idxd_dma_complete_txd(desc, IDXD_COMPLETE_ABORT, true);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/dma/idxd/irq.c b/drivers/dma/idxd/irq.c
index 3261ea247e83..573a2f6d0f7f 100644
--- a/drivers/dma/idxd/irq.c
+++ b/drivers/dma/idxd/irq.c
@@ -195,11 +195,11 @@ static void irq_process_pending_llist(struct idxd_irq_entry *irq_entry)
 			 * and 0xff, which DSA_COMP_STATUS_MASK can mask out.
 			 */
 			if (unlikely(desc->completion->status == IDXD_COMP_DESC_ABORT)) {
-				complete_desc(desc, IDXD_COMPLETE_ABORT);
+				idxd_dma_complete_txd(desc, IDXD_COMPLETE_ABORT, true);
 				continue;
 			}
 
-			complete_desc(desc, IDXD_COMPLETE_NORMAL);
+			idxd_dma_complete_txd(desc, IDXD_COMPLETE_NORMAL, true);
 		} else {
 			spin_lock(&irq_entry->list_lock);
 			list_add_tail(&desc->list,
@@ -239,11 +239,11 @@ static void irq_process_work_list(struct idxd_irq_entry *irq_entry)
 		 * and 0xff, which DSA_COMP_STATUS_MASK can mask out.
 		 */
 		if (unlikely(desc->completion->status == IDXD_COMP_DESC_ABORT)) {
-			complete_desc(desc, IDXD_COMPLETE_ABORT);
+			idxd_dma_complete_txd(desc, IDXD_COMPLETE_ABORT, true);
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		complete_desc(desc, IDXD_COMPLETE_NORMAL);
+		idxd_dma_complete_txd(desc, IDXD_COMPLETE_NORMAL, true);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/dma/idxd/submit.c b/drivers/dma/idxd/submit.c
index de76fb4abac2..ea11809dbb32 100644
--- a/drivers/dma/idxd/submit.c
+++ b/drivers/dma/idxd/submit.c
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ static void llist_abort_desc(struct idxd_wq *wq, struct idxd_irq_entry *ie,
 	spin_unlock(&ie->list_lock);
 
 	if (found)
-		complete_desc(found, IDXD_COMPLETE_ABORT);
+		idxd_dma_complete_txd(found, IDXD_COMPLETE_ABORT, false);
 }
 
 int idxd_submit_desc(struct idxd_wq *wq, struct idxd_desc *desc)
@@ -139,15 +139,11 @@ int idxd_submit_desc(struct idxd_wq *wq, struct idxd_desc *desc)
 	void __iomem *portal;
 	int rc;
 
-	if (idxd->state != IDXD_DEV_ENABLED) {
-		idxd_free_desc(wq, desc);
+	if (idxd->state != IDXD_DEV_ENABLED)
 		return -EIO;
-	}
 
-	if (!percpu_ref_tryget_live(&wq->wq_active)) {
-		idxd_free_desc(wq, desc);
+	if (!percpu_ref_tryget_live(&wq->wq_active))
 		return -ENXIO;
-	}
 
 	portal = idxd_wq_portal_addr(wq);
 
@@ -182,8 +178,6 @@ int idxd_submit_desc(struct idxd_wq *wq, struct idxd_desc *desc)
 			/* abort operation frees the descriptor */
 			if (ie)
 				llist_abort_desc(wq, ie, desc);
-			else
-				idxd_free_desc(wq, desc);
 			return rc;
 		}
 	}
