diff --git a/block/bfq-iosched.c b/block/bfq-iosched.c
index 73bffd7af15c..8dee243e639f 100644
--- a/block/bfq-iosched.c
+++ b/block/bfq-iosched.c
@@ -2523,6 +2523,15 @@ bfq_setup_merge(struct bfq_queue *bfqq, struct bfq_queue *new_bfqq)
 	 * are likely to increase the throughput.
 	 */
 	bfqq->new_bfqq = new_bfqq;
+	/*
+	 * The above assignment schedules the following redirections:
+	 * each time some I/O for bfqq arrives, the process that
+	 * generated that I/O is disassociated from bfqq and
+	 * associated with new_bfqq. Here we increases new_bfqq->ref
+	 * in advance, adding the number of processes that are
+	 * expected to be associated with new_bfqq as they happen to
+	 * issue I/O.
+	 */
 	new_bfqq->ref += process_refs;
 	return new_bfqq;
 }
@@ -2582,6 +2591,10 @@ bfq_setup_cooperator(struct bfq_data *bfqd, struct bfq_queue *bfqq,
 {
 	struct bfq_queue *in_service_bfqq, *new_bfqq;
 
+	/* if a merge has already been setup, then proceed with that first */
+	if (bfqq->new_bfqq)
+		return bfqq->new_bfqq;
+
 	/*
 	 * Do not perform queue merging if the device is non
 	 * rotational and performs internal queueing. In fact, such a
@@ -2636,9 +2649,6 @@ bfq_setup_cooperator(struct bfq_data *bfqd, struct bfq_queue *bfqq,
 	if (bfq_too_late_for_merging(bfqq))
 		return NULL;
 
-	if (bfqq->new_bfqq)
-		return bfqq->new_bfqq;
-
 	if (!io_struct || unlikely(bfqq == &bfqd->oom_bfqq))
 		return NULL;