diff --git a/lib/scsi/lun.c b/lib/scsi/lun.c
index 9a5ba8c3b5..f04b751191 100644
--- a/lib/scsi/lun.c
+++ b/lib/scsi/lun.c
@@ -184,8 +184,6 @@ spdk_scsi_lun_execute_task(struct spdk_scsi_lun *lun, struct spdk_scsi_task *tas
 static void
 spdk_scsi_lun_remove(struct spdk_scsi_lun *lun)
 {
-	spdk_scsi_lun_free_io_channel(lun);
-
 	spdk_bdev_close(lun->bdev_desc);
 
 	spdk_scsi_dev_delete_lun(lun->dev, lun);
@@ -197,7 +195,8 @@ spdk_scsi_lun_hot_remove_poll(void *arg)
 {
 	struct spdk_scsi_lun *lun = (struct spdk_scsi_lun *)arg;
 
-	if (spdk_scsi_lun_has_pending_tasks(lun)) {
+	if (spdk_scsi_lun_has_pending_tasks(lun) ||
+	    lun->io_channel != NULL) {
 		return -1;
 	}
 
@@ -216,7 +215,8 @@ _spdk_scsi_lun_hot_remove(void *arg1)
 		lun->hotremove_cb(lun, lun->hotremove_ctx);
 	}
 
-	if (spdk_scsi_lun_has_pending_tasks(lun)) {
+	if (spdk_scsi_lun_has_pending_tasks(lun) ||
+	    lun->io_channel != NULL) {
 		lun->hotremove_poller = spdk_poller_register(spdk_scsi_lun_hot_remove_poll,
 					lun, 10);
 	} else {