diff --git a/fs/erofs/fileio.c b/fs/erofs/fileio.c
index c865a7a61030..990defcf9304 100644
--- a/fs/erofs/fileio.c
+++ b/fs/erofs/fileio.c
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ struct erofs_fileio_rq {
 	struct bio bio;
 	struct kiocb iocb;
 	struct super_block *sb;
+	refcount_t ref;
 };
 
 struct erofs_fileio {
@@ -42,7 +43,8 @@ static void erofs_fileio_ki_complete(struct kiocb *iocb, long ret)
 		}
 	}
 	bio_uninit(&rq->bio);
-	kfree(rq);
+	if (refcount_dec_and_test(&rq->ref))
+		kfree(rq);
 }
 
 static void erofs_fileio_rq_submit(struct erofs_fileio_rq *rq)
@@ -63,6 +65,8 @@ static void erofs_fileio_rq_submit(struct erofs_fileio_rq *rq)
 	ret = vfs_iocb_iter_read(rq->iocb.ki_filp, &rq->iocb, &iter);
 	if (ret != -EIOCBQUEUED)
 		erofs_fileio_ki_complete(&rq->iocb, ret);
+	if (refcount_dec_and_test(&rq->ref))
+		kfree(rq);
 }
 
 static struct erofs_fileio_rq *erofs_fileio_rq_alloc(struct erofs_map_dev *mdev)
@@ -73,6 +77,7 @@ static struct erofs_fileio_rq *erofs_fileio_rq_alloc(struct erofs_map_dev *mdev)
 	bio_init(&rq->bio, NULL, rq->bvecs, BIO_MAX_VECS, REQ_OP_READ);
 	rq->iocb.ki_filp = mdev->m_dif->file;
 	rq->sb = mdev->m_sb;
+	refcount_set(&rq->ref, 2);
 	return rq;
 }