diff --git a/sys/cam/scsi/scsi_enc_ses.c b/sys/cam/scsi/scsi_enc_ses.c
index 1e632cae4615..cbc9b90ce060 100644
--- a/sys/cam/scsi/scsi_enc_ses.c
+++ b/sys/cam/scsi/scsi_enc_ses.c
@@ -363,6 +363,7 @@ typedef struct ses_softc {
 	uint32_t		ses_flags;
 #define	SES_FLAG_TIMEDCOMP	0x01
 #define	SES_FLAG_ADDLSTATUS	0x02
+#define	SES_FLAG_DESC		0x04
 
 	ses_control_reqlist_t	ses_requests;
 	ses_control_reqlist_t	ses_pending_requests;
@@ -1271,7 +1272,10 @@ ses_process_pages(enc_softc_t *enc, struct enc_fsm_state *state,
 
 	err = 0;
 	for (i = 0; i < length; i++) {
-		if (page->params[i] == SesAddlElementStatus) {
+		if (page->params[i] == SesElementDescriptor) {
+			ses->ses_flags |= SES_FLAG_DESC;
+			break;
+		} else if (page->params[i] == SesAddlElementStatus) {
 			ses->ses_flags |= SES_FLAG_ADDLSTATUS;
 			break;
 		}
@@ -1486,7 +1490,8 @@ out:
 		ses_cache_free(enc, enc_cache);
 	else {
 		enc_update_request(enc, SES_UPDATE_GETSTATUS);
-		enc_update_request(enc, SES_UPDATE_GETELMDESCS);
+		if (ses->ses_flags & SES_FLAG_DESC)
+			enc_update_request(enc, SES_UPDATE_GETELMDESCS);
 		if (ses->ses_flags & SES_FLAG_ADDLSTATUS)
 			enc_update_request(enc, SES_UPDATE_GETELMADDLSTATUS);
 		enc_update_request(enc, SES_PUBLISH_CACHE);