diff --git a/fs/io-wq.c b/fs/io-wq.c
index 203c0e2a5dfa..5d189b24a8d4 100644
--- a/fs/io-wq.c
+++ b/fs/io-wq.c
@@ -359,8 +359,10 @@ static bool io_queue_worker_create(struct io_worker *worker,
 
 	init_task_work(&worker->create_work, func);
 	worker->create_index = acct->index;
-	if (!task_work_add(wq->task, &worker->create_work, TWA_SIGNAL))
+	if (!task_work_add(wq->task, &worker->create_work, TWA_SIGNAL)) {
+		clear_bit_unlock(0, &worker->create_state);
 		return true;
+	}
 	clear_bit_unlock(0, &worker->create_state);
 fail_release:
 	io_worker_release(worker);
@@ -765,11 +767,8 @@ static void io_workqueue_create(struct work_struct *work)
 	struct io_worker *worker = container_of(work, struct io_worker, work);
 	struct io_wqe_acct *acct = io_wqe_get_acct(worker);
 
-	if (!io_queue_worker_create(worker, acct, create_worker_cont)) {
-		clear_bit_unlock(0, &worker->create_state);
-		io_worker_release(worker);
+	if (!io_queue_worker_create(worker, acct, create_worker_cont))
 		kfree(worker);
-	}
 }
 
 static bool create_io_worker(struct io_wq *wq, struct io_wqe *wqe, int index)