diff --git a/block/elevator.c b/block/elevator.c
index c2d61d56e0b7..603b2c178740 100644
--- a/block/elevator.c
+++ b/block/elevator.c
@@ -100,14 +100,14 @@ static void elevator_put(struct elevator_type *e)
 	module_put(e->elevator_owner);
 }
 
-static struct elevator_type *elevator_get(const char *name)
+static struct elevator_type *elevator_get(const char *name, bool try_loading)
 {
 	struct elevator_type *e;
 
 	spin_lock(&elv_list_lock);
 
 	e = elevator_find(name);
-	if (!e) {
+	if (!e && try_loading) {
 		spin_unlock(&elv_list_lock);
 		request_module("%s-iosched", name);
 		spin_lock(&elv_list_lock);
@@ -207,25 +207,30 @@ int elevator_init(struct request_queue *q, char *name)
 	q->boundary_rq = NULL;
 
 	if (name) {
-		e = elevator_get(name);
+		e = elevator_get(name, true);
 		if (!e)
 			return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * Use the default elevator specified by config boot param or
+	 * config option.  Don't try to load modules as we could be running
+	 * off async and request_module() isn't allowed from async.
+	 */
 	if (!e && *chosen_elevator) {
-		e = elevator_get(chosen_elevator);
+		e = elevator_get(chosen_elevator, false);
 		if (!e)
 			printk(KERN_ERR "I/O scheduler %s not found\n",
 							chosen_elevator);
 	}
 
 	if (!e) {
-		e = elevator_get(CONFIG_DEFAULT_IOSCHED);
+		e = elevator_get(CONFIG_DEFAULT_IOSCHED, false);
 		if (!e) {
 			printk(KERN_ERR
 				"Default I/O scheduler not found. " \
 				"Using noop.\n");
-			e = elevator_get("noop");
+			e = elevator_get("noop", false);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -967,7 +972,7 @@ int elevator_change(struct request_queue *q, const char *name)
 		return -ENXIO;
 
 	strlcpy(elevator_name, name, sizeof(elevator_name));
-	e = elevator_get(strstrip(elevator_name));
+	e = elevator_get(strstrip(elevator_name), true);
 	if (!e) {
 		printk(KERN_ERR "elevator: type %s not found\n", elevator_name);
 		return -EINVAL;