diff --git a/fs/io-wq.c b/fs/io-wq.c
index 5facea5ac056..636461142f6f 100644
--- a/fs/io-wq.c
+++ b/fs/io-wq.c
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ enum {
 enum {
 	IO_WQ_BIT_EXIT		= 0,	/* wq exiting */
 	IO_WQ_BIT_CANCEL	= 1,	/* cancel work on list */
+	IO_WQ_BIT_ERROR		= 2,	/* error on setup */
 };
 
 enum {
@@ -574,14 +575,14 @@ void io_wq_worker_sleeping(struct task_struct *tsk)
 	spin_unlock_irq(&wqe->lock);
 }
 
-static void create_io_worker(struct io_wq *wq, struct io_wqe *wqe, int index)
+static bool create_io_worker(struct io_wq *wq, struct io_wqe *wqe, int index)
 {
 	struct io_wqe_acct *acct =&wqe->acct[index];
 	struct io_worker *worker;
 
 	worker = kcalloc_node(1, sizeof(*worker), GFP_KERNEL, wqe->node);
 	if (!worker)
-		return;
+		return false;
 
 	refcount_set(&worker->ref, 1);
 	worker->nulls_node.pprev = NULL;
@@ -592,7 +593,7 @@ static void create_io_worker(struct io_wq *wq, struct io_wqe *wqe, int index)
 				"io_wqe_worker-%d/%d", index, wqe->node);
 	if (IS_ERR(worker->task)) {
 		kfree(worker);
-		return;
+		return false;
 	}
 
 	spin_lock_irq(&wqe->lock);
@@ -609,6 +610,7 @@ static void create_io_worker(struct io_wq *wq, struct io_wqe *wqe, int index)
 		atomic_inc(&wq->user->processes);
 
 	wake_up_process(worker->task);
+	return true;
 }
 
 static inline bool io_wqe_need_worker(struct io_wqe *wqe, int index)
@@ -616,9 +618,6 @@ static inline bool io_wqe_need_worker(struct io_wqe *wqe, int index)
 {
 	struct io_wqe_acct *acct = &wqe->acct[index];
 
-	/* always ensure we have one bounded worker */
-	if (index == IO_WQ_ACCT_BOUND && !acct->nr_workers)
-		return true;
 	/* if we have available workers or no work, no need */
 	if (!hlist_nulls_empty(&wqe->free_list.head) || !io_wqe_run_queue(wqe))
 		return false;
@@ -631,10 +630,19 @@ static inline bool io_wqe_need_worker(struct io_wqe *wqe, int index)
 static int io_wq_manager(void *data)
 {
 	struct io_wq *wq = data;
+	int i;
 
-	while (!kthread_should_stop()) {
-		int i;
+	/* create fixed workers */
+	refcount_set(&wq->refs, wq->nr_wqes);
+	for (i = 0; i < wq->nr_wqes; i++) {
+		if (create_io_worker(wq, wq->wqes[i], IO_WQ_ACCT_BOUND))
+			continue;
+		goto err;
+	}
 
+	complete(&wq->done);
+
+	while (!kthread_should_stop()) {
 		for (i = 0; i < wq->nr_wqes; i++) {
 			struct io_wqe *wqe = wq->wqes[i];
 			bool fork_worker[2] = { false, false };
@@ -655,6 +663,12 @@ static int io_wq_manager(void *data)
 	}
 
 	return 0;
+err:
+	set_bit(IO_WQ_BIT_ERROR, &wq->state);
+	set_bit(IO_WQ_BIT_EXIT, &wq->state);
+	if (refcount_sub_and_test(wq->nr_wqes - i, &wq->refs))
+		complete(&wq->done);
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static bool io_wq_can_queue(struct io_wqe *wqe, struct io_wqe_acct *acct,
@@ -1006,7 +1020,6 @@ struct io_wq *io_wq_create(unsigned bounded, struct io_wq_data *data)
 	wq->creds = data->creds;
 
 	i = 0;
-	refcount_set(&wq->refs, wq->nr_wqes);
 	for_each_online_node(node) {
 		struct io_wqe *wqe;
 
@@ -1045,14 +1058,22 @@ struct io_wq *io_wq_create(unsigned bounded, struct io_wq_data *data)
 	wq->manager = kthread_create(io_wq_manager, wq, "io_wq_manager");
 	if (!IS_ERR(wq->manager)) {
 		wake_up_process(wq->manager);
+		wait_for_completion(&wq->done);
+		if (test_bit(IO_WQ_BIT_ERROR, &wq->state)) {
+			ret = -ENOMEM;
+			goto err;
+		}
+		reinit_completion(&wq->done);
 		return wq;
 	}
 
 	ret = PTR_ERR(wq->manager);
-	wq->manager = NULL;
-err:
 	complete(&wq->done);
-	io_wq_destroy(wq);
+err:
+	for (i = 0; i < wq->nr_wqes; i++)
+		kfree(wq->wqes[i]);
+	kfree(wq->wqes);
+	kfree(wq);
 	return ERR_PTR(ret);
 }
 
@@ -1066,10 +1087,9 @@ void io_wq_destroy(struct io_wq *wq)
 {
 	int i;
 
-	if (wq->manager) {
-		set_bit(IO_WQ_BIT_EXIT, &wq->state);
+	set_bit(IO_WQ_BIT_EXIT, &wq->state);
+	if (wq->manager)
 		kthread_stop(wq->manager);
-	}
 
 	rcu_read_lock();
 	for (i = 0; i < wq->nr_wqes; i++) {