diff --git a/drivers/nvme/host/core.c b/drivers/nvme/host/core.c
index d81b0cff15e0..c42ad0b8247b 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/host/core.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/host/core.c
@@ -531,11 +531,9 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_NS_GPL(nvme_put_ns, NVME_TARGET_PASSTHRU);
 
 static inline void nvme_clear_nvme_request(struct request *req)
 {
-	if (!(req->rq_flags & RQF_DONTPREP)) {
-		nvme_req(req)->retries = 0;
-		nvme_req(req)->flags = 0;
-		req->rq_flags |= RQF_DONTPREP;
-	}
+	nvme_req(req)->retries = 0;
+	nvme_req(req)->flags = 0;
+	req->rq_flags |= RQF_DONTPREP;
 }
 
 static inline unsigned int nvme_req_op(struct nvme_command *cmd)
@@ -854,7 +852,8 @@ blk_status_t nvme_setup_cmd(struct nvme_ns *ns, struct request *req,
 	struct nvme_ctrl *ctrl = nvme_req(req)->ctrl;
 	blk_status_t ret = BLK_STS_OK;
 
-	nvme_clear_nvme_request(req);
+	if (!(req->rq_flags & RQF_DONTPREP))
+		nvme_clear_nvme_request(req);
 
 	memset(cmd, 0, sizeof(*cmd));
 	switch (req_op(req)) {