diff --git a/drivers/md/md.c b/drivers/md/md.c
index 5a378a453a2d..acef01e519d0 100644
--- a/drivers/md/md.c
+++ b/drivers/md/md.c
@@ -376,6 +376,11 @@ static blk_qc_t md_make_request(struct request_queue *q, struct bio *bio)
 	struct mddev *mddev = q->queuedata;
 	unsigned int sectors;
 
+	if (mddev == NULL || mddev->pers == NULL) {
+		bio_io_error(bio);
+		return BLK_QC_T_NONE;
+	}
+
 	if (unlikely(test_bit(MD_BROKEN, &mddev->flags)) && (rw == WRITE)) {
 		bio_io_error(bio);
 		return BLK_QC_T_NONE;
@@ -383,10 +388,6 @@ static blk_qc_t md_make_request(struct request_queue *q, struct bio *bio)
 
 	blk_queue_split(q, &bio);
 
-	if (mddev == NULL || mddev->pers == NULL) {
-		bio_io_error(bio);
-		return BLK_QC_T_NONE;
-	}
 	if (mddev->ro == 1 && unlikely(rw == WRITE)) {
 		if (bio_sectors(bio) != 0)
 			bio->bi_status = BLK_STS_IOERR;