diff --git a/block/elevator.c b/block/elevator.c
index 249cc5e10906..b7ff2861b6bd 100644
--- a/block/elevator.c
+++ b/block/elevator.c
@@ -965,7 +965,7 @@ fail_init:
 /*
  * Switch this queue to the given IO scheduler.
  */
-int elevator_change(struct request_queue *q, const char *name)
+static int __elevator_change(struct request_queue *q, const char *name)
 {
 	char elevator_name[ELV_NAME_MAX];
 	struct elevator_type *e;
@@ -987,6 +987,18 @@ int elevator_change(struct request_queue *q, const char *name)
 
 	return elevator_switch(q, e);
 }
+
+int elevator_change(struct request_queue *q, const char *name)
+{
+	int ret;
+
+	/* Protect q->elevator from elevator_init() */
+	mutex_lock(&q->sysfs_lock);
+	ret = __elevator_change(q, name);
+	mutex_unlock(&q->sysfs_lock);
+
+	return ret;
+}
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(elevator_change);
 
 ssize_t elv_iosched_store(struct request_queue *q, const char *name,
@@ -997,7 +1009,7 @@ ssize_t elv_iosched_store(struct request_queue *q, const char *name,
 	if (!q->elevator)
 		return count;
 
-	ret = elevator_change(q, name);
+	ret = __elevator_change(q, name);
 	if (!ret)
 		return count;