diff --git a/block/genhd.c b/block/genhd.c
index 8256e11f85b7..1cb517969607 100644
--- a/block/genhd.c
+++ b/block/genhd.c
@@ -738,7 +738,7 @@ static ssize_t disk_badblocks_store(struct device *dev,
 }
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_BLOCK_LEGACY_AUTOLOAD
-void blk_request_module(dev_t devt)
+static bool blk_probe_dev(dev_t devt)
 {
 	unsigned int major = MAJOR(devt);
 	struct blk_major_name **n;
@@ -748,14 +748,26 @@ void blk_request_module(dev_t devt)
 		if ((*n)->major == major && (*n)->probe) {
 			(*n)->probe(devt);
 			mutex_unlock(&major_names_lock);
-			return;
+			return true;
 		}
 	}
 	mutex_unlock(&major_names_lock);
+	return false;
+}
 
-	if (request_module("block-major-%d-%d", MAJOR(devt), MINOR(devt)) > 0)
-		/* Make old-style 2.4 aliases work */
-		request_module("block-major-%d", MAJOR(devt));
+void blk_request_module(dev_t devt)
+{
+	int error;
+
+	if (blk_probe_dev(devt))
+		return;
+
+	error = request_module("block-major-%d-%d", MAJOR(devt), MINOR(devt));
+	/* Make old-style 2.4 aliases work */
+	if (error > 0)
+		error = request_module("block-major-%d", MAJOR(devt));
+	if (!error)
+		blk_probe_dev(devt);
 }
 #endif /* CONFIG_BLOCK_LEGACY_AUTOLOAD */