diff --git a/block/blk-throttle.c b/block/blk-throttle.c
index a3b3ebc72dd4..880701d0106f 100644
--- a/block/blk-throttle.c
+++ b/block/blk-throttle.c
@@ -1137,12 +1137,22 @@ static void throtl_pending_timer_fn(struct timer_list *t)
 	struct throtl_service_queue *sq = from_timer(sq, t, pending_timer);
 	struct throtl_grp *tg = sq_to_tg(sq);
 	struct throtl_data *td = sq_to_td(sq);
-	struct request_queue *q = td->queue;
 	struct throtl_service_queue *parent_sq;
+	struct request_queue *q;
 	bool dispatched;
 	int ret;
 
+	/* throtl_data may be gone, so figure out request queue by blkg */
+	if (tg)
+		q = tg->pd.blkg->q;
+	else
+		q = td->queue;
+
 	spin_lock_irq(&q->queue_lock);
+
+	if (!q->root_blkg)
+		goto out_unlock;
+
 	if (throtl_can_upgrade(td, NULL))
 		throtl_upgrade_state(td);