diff --git a/drivers/lightnvm/core.c b/drivers/lightnvm/core.c
index 60e163be5a89..c490711cf0f4 100644
--- a/drivers/lightnvm/core.c
+++ b/drivers/lightnvm/core.c
@@ -373,6 +373,7 @@ static void __nvm_remove_target(struct nvm_target *t)
 static int nvm_remove_tgt(struct nvm_dev *dev, struct nvm_ioctl_remove *remove)
 {
 	struct nvm_target *t;
+	struct block_device *bdev;
 
 	mutex_lock(&dev->mlock);
 	t = nvm_find_target(dev, remove->tgtname);
@@ -380,6 +381,19 @@ static int nvm_remove_tgt(struct nvm_dev *dev, struct nvm_ioctl_remove *remove)
 		mutex_unlock(&dev->mlock);
 		return 1;
 	}
+	bdev = bdget_disk(t->disk, 0);
+	if (!bdev) {
+		pr_err("nvm: removal failed, allocating bd failed\n");
+		mutex_unlock(&dev->mlock);
+		return -ENOMEM;
+	}
+	if (bdev->bd_super || bdev->bd_part_count) {
+		pr_err("nvm: removal failed, block device busy\n");
+		bdput(bdev);
+		mutex_unlock(&dev->mlock);
+		return -EBUSY;
+	}
+	bdput(bdev);
 	__nvm_remove_target(t);
 	mutex_unlock(&dev->mlock);