diff --git a/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-core.c b/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-core.c
index e81a70cf9e9b..549341b24e3c 100644
--- a/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-core.c
+++ b/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-core.c
@@ -849,9 +849,10 @@ static int pblk_line_submit_smeta_io(struct pblk *pblk, struct pblk_line *line,
 	atomic_dec(&pblk->inflight_io);
 
 	if (rqd.error) {
-		if (dir == PBLK_WRITE)
+		if (dir == PBLK_WRITE) {
 			pblk_log_write_err(pblk, &rqd);
-		else if (dir == PBLK_READ)
+			ret = 1;
+		} else if (dir == PBLK_READ)
 			pblk_log_read_err(pblk, &rqd);
 	}
 
@@ -1101,7 +1102,7 @@ static int pblk_line_init_bb(struct pblk *pblk, struct pblk_line *line,
 
 	if (init && pblk_line_submit_smeta_io(pblk, line, off, PBLK_WRITE)) {
 		pr_debug("pblk: line smeta I/O failed. Retry\n");
-		return 1;
+		return 0;
 	}
 
 	bitmap_copy(line->invalid_bitmap, line->map_bitmap, lm->sec_per_line);