diff --git a/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-gc.c b/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-gc.c
index 7b103bce58bf..81efac18ff57 100644
--- a/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-gc.c
+++ b/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-gc.c
@@ -478,10 +478,10 @@ void pblk_gc_should_start(struct pblk *pblk)
 {
 	struct pblk_gc *gc = &pblk->gc;
 
-	if (gc->gc_enabled && !gc->gc_active)
+	if (gc->gc_enabled && !gc->gc_active) {
 		pblk_gc_start(pblk);
-
-	pblk_gc_kick(pblk);
+		pblk_gc_kick(pblk);
+	}
 }
 
 /*
@@ -620,7 +620,8 @@ void pblk_gc_exit(struct pblk *pblk)
 	flush_workqueue(gc->gc_reader_wq);
 	flush_workqueue(gc->gc_line_reader_wq);
 
-	del_timer(&gc->gc_timer);
+	gc->gc_enabled = 0;
+	del_timer_sync(&gc->gc_timer);
 	pblk_gc_stop(pblk, 1);
 
 	if (gc->gc_ts)
diff --git a/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-init.c b/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-init.c
index 2e599738372d..27eb430958ff 100644
--- a/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-init.c
+++ b/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-init.c
@@ -931,6 +931,7 @@ static void *pblk_init(struct nvm_tgt_dev *dev, struct gendisk *tdisk,
 	pblk->dev = dev;
 	pblk->disk = tdisk;
 	pblk->state = PBLK_STATE_RUNNING;
+	pblk->gc.gc_enabled = 0;
 
 	spin_lock_init(&pblk->trans_lock);
 	spin_lock_init(&pblk->lock);