diff --git a/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-core.c b/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-core.c
index f34ce522348e..9a70cfe18934 100644
--- a/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-core.c
+++ b/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-core.c
@@ -467,16 +467,13 @@ int pblk_submit_io(struct pblk *pblk, struct nvm_rq *rqd)
 {
 	struct nvm_tgt_dev *dev = pblk->dev;
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_NVM_DEBUG
-	int ret;
-
-	ret = pblk_check_io(pblk, rqd);
-	if (ret)
-		return ret;
-#endif
-
 	atomic_inc(&pblk->inflight_io);
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_NVM_DEBUG
+	if (pblk_check_io(pblk, rqd))
+		return NVM_IO_ERR;
+#endif
+
 	return nvm_submit_io(dev, rqd);
 }
 
@@ -484,16 +481,13 @@ int pblk_submit_io_sync(struct pblk *pblk, struct nvm_rq *rqd)
 {
 	struct nvm_tgt_dev *dev = pblk->dev;
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_NVM_DEBUG
-	int ret;
-
-	ret = pblk_check_io(pblk, rqd);
-	if (ret)
-		return ret;
-#endif
-
 	atomic_inc(&pblk->inflight_io);
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_NVM_DEBUG
+	if (pblk_check_io(pblk, rqd))
+		return NVM_IO_ERR;
+#endif
+
 	return nvm_submit_io_sync(dev, rqd);
 }