diff --git a/drivers/target/target_core_tmr.c b/drivers/target/target_core_tmr.c
index 5b2820312310..28fb3016370f 100644
--- a/drivers/target/target_core_tmr.c
+++ b/drivers/target/target_core_tmr.c
@@ -130,6 +130,9 @@ void core_tmr_abort_task(
 		if (tmr->ref_task_tag != ref_tag)
 			continue;
 
+		if (!kref_get_unless_zero(&se_cmd->cmd_kref))
+			continue;
+
 		printk("ABORT_TASK: Found referenced %s task_tag: %llu\n",
 			se_cmd->se_tfo->get_fabric_name(), ref_tag);
 
@@ -139,13 +142,15 @@ void core_tmr_abort_task(
 			       " skipping\n", ref_tag);
 			spin_unlock(&se_cmd->t_state_lock);
 			spin_unlock_irqrestore(&se_sess->sess_cmd_lock, flags);
+
+			target_put_sess_cmd(se_cmd);
+
 			goto out;
 		}
 		se_cmd->transport_state |= CMD_T_ABORTED;
 		spin_unlock(&se_cmd->t_state_lock);
 
 		list_del_init(&se_cmd->se_cmd_list);
-		kref_get(&se_cmd->cmd_kref);
 		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&se_sess->sess_cmd_lock, flags);
 
 		cancel_work_sync(&se_cmd->work);
diff --git a/drivers/target/target_core_transport.c b/drivers/target/target_core_transport.c
index 010b8c46f1ef..4fdcee2006d1 100644
--- a/drivers/target/target_core_transport.c
+++ b/drivers/target/target_core_transport.c
@@ -2509,23 +2509,24 @@ out:
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(target_get_sess_cmd);
 
 static void target_release_cmd_kref(struct kref *kref)
-		__releases(&se_cmd->se_sess->sess_cmd_lock)
 {
 	struct se_cmd *se_cmd = container_of(kref, struct se_cmd, cmd_kref);
 	struct se_session *se_sess = se_cmd->se_sess;
+	unsigned long flags;
 
+	spin_lock_irqsave(&se_sess->sess_cmd_lock, flags);
 	if (list_empty(&se_cmd->se_cmd_list)) {
-		spin_unlock(&se_sess->sess_cmd_lock);
+		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&se_sess->sess_cmd_lock, flags);
 		se_cmd->se_tfo->release_cmd(se_cmd);
 		return;
 	}
 	if (se_sess->sess_tearing_down && se_cmd->cmd_wait_set) {
-		spin_unlock(&se_sess->sess_cmd_lock);
+		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&se_sess->sess_cmd_lock, flags);
 		complete(&se_cmd->cmd_wait_comp);
 		return;
 	}
 	list_del(&se_cmd->se_cmd_list);
-	spin_unlock(&se_sess->sess_cmd_lock);
+	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&se_sess->sess_cmd_lock, flags);
 
 	se_cmd->se_tfo->release_cmd(se_cmd);
 }
@@ -2541,8 +2542,7 @@ int target_put_sess_cmd(struct se_cmd *se_cmd)
 		se_cmd->se_tfo->release_cmd(se_cmd);
 		return 1;
 	}
-	return kref_put_spinlock_irqsave(&se_cmd->cmd_kref, target_release_cmd_kref,
-			&se_sess->sess_cmd_lock);
+	return kref_put(&se_cmd->cmd_kref, target_release_cmd_kref);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(target_put_sess_cmd);