diff --git a/drivers/mmc/core/core.c b/drivers/mmc/core/core.c
index cfd56d9fa2ca..8c6861564ed2 100644
--- a/drivers/mmc/core/core.c
+++ b/drivers/mmc/core/core.c
@@ -1166,9 +1166,11 @@ static int mmc_start_request(struct mmc_host *host, struct mmc_request *mrq)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static void mmc_start_cmdq_request(struct mmc_host *host,
+static int mmc_start_cmdq_request(struct mmc_host *host,
 				   struct mmc_request *mrq)
 {
+	int ret = 0;
+
 	if (mrq->data) {
 		pr_debug("%s:     blksz %d blocks %d flags %08x tsac %lu ms nsac %d\n",
 			mmc_hostname(host), mrq->data->blksz,
@@ -1190,11 +1192,21 @@ static void mmc_start_cmdq_request(struct mmc_host *host,
 	}
 
 	mmc_host_clk_hold(host);
-	if (likely(host->cmdq_ops->request))
-		host->cmdq_ops->request(host, mrq);
-	else
-		pr_err("%s: %s: issue request failed\n", mmc_hostname(host),
-				__func__);
+	if (likely(host->cmdq_ops->request)) {
+		ret = host->cmdq_ops->request(host, mrq);
+	} else {
+		ret = -ENOENT;
+		pr_err("%s: %s: cmdq request host op is not available\n",
+			mmc_hostname(host), __func__);
+	}
+
+	if (ret) {
+		mmc_host_clk_release(host);
+		pr_err("%s: %s: issue request failed, err=%d\n",
+			mmc_hostname(host), __func__, ret);
+	}
+
+	return ret;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -1681,8 +1693,7 @@ int mmc_cmdq_start_req(struct mmc_host *host, struct mmc_cmdq_req *cmdq_req)
 		mrq->cmd->error = -ENOMEDIUM;
 		return -ENOMEDIUM;
 	}
-	mmc_start_cmdq_request(host, mrq);
-	return 0;
+	return mmc_start_cmdq_request(host, mrq);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(mmc_cmdq_start_req);