diff --git a/fs/io_uring.c b/fs/io_uring.c
index 708d133492a1..5ec06e5ba0be 100644
--- a/fs/io_uring.c
+++ b/fs/io_uring.c
@@ -333,7 +333,8 @@ struct io_kiocb {
 #define REQ_F_IO_DRAIN		16	/* drain existing IO first */
 #define REQ_F_IO_DRAINED	32	/* drain done */
 #define REQ_F_LINK		64	/* linked sqes */
-#define REQ_F_FAIL_LINK		128	/* fail rest of links */
+#define REQ_F_LINK_DONE		128	/* linked sqes done */
+#define REQ_F_FAIL_LINK		256	/* fail rest of links */
 	u64			user_data;
 	u32			result;
 	u32			sequence;
@@ -632,6 +633,7 @@ static void io_req_link_next(struct io_kiocb *req)
 			nxt->flags |= REQ_F_LINK;
 		}
 
+		nxt->flags |= REQ_F_LINK_DONE;
 		INIT_WORK(&nxt->work, io_sq_wq_submit_work);
 		queue_work(req->ctx->sqo_wq, &nxt->work);
 	}
@@ -1844,6 +1846,10 @@ restart:
 		/* async context always use a copy of the sqe */
 		kfree(sqe);
 
+		/* req from defer and link list needn't decrease async cnt */
+		if (req->flags & (REQ_F_IO_DRAINED | REQ_F_LINK_DONE))
+			goto out;
+
 		if (!async_list)
 			break;
 		if (!list_empty(&req_list)) {
@@ -1891,6 +1897,7 @@ restart:
 		}
 	}
 
+out:
 	if (cur_mm) {
 		set_fs(old_fs);
 		unuse_mm(cur_mm);