diff --git a/block/bfq-cgroup.c b/block/bfq-cgroup.c
index 4ac6f59a3679..53e275e377a7 100644
--- a/block/bfq-cgroup.c
+++ b/block/bfq-cgroup.c
@@ -756,8 +756,8 @@ static void *__bfq_bic_change_cgroup(struct bfq_data *bfqd,
 				 * request from the old cgroup.
 				 */
 				bfq_put_cooperator(sync_bfqq);
-				bfq_release_process_ref(bfqd, sync_bfqq);
 				bic_set_bfqq(bic, NULL, true);
+				bfq_release_process_ref(bfqd, sync_bfqq);
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/block/bfq-iosched.c b/block/bfq-iosched.c
index 8d967a67318c..f54554906451 100644
--- a/block/bfq-iosched.c
+++ b/block/bfq-iosched.c
@@ -5359,9 +5359,11 @@ static void bfq_check_ioprio_change(struct bfq_io_cq *bic, struct bio *bio)
 
 	bfqq = bic_to_bfqq(bic, false);
 	if (bfqq) {
-		bfq_release_process_ref(bfqd, bfqq);
+		struct bfq_queue *old_bfqq = bfqq;
+
 		bfqq = bfq_get_queue(bfqd, bio, false, bic, true);
 		bic_set_bfqq(bic, bfqq, false);
+		bfq_release_process_ref(bfqd, old_bfqq);
 	}
 
 	bfqq = bic_to_bfqq(bic, true);