diff --git a/drivers/md/raid1.c b/drivers/md/raid1.c
index f978eddc7a21..fe872dc6712e 100644
--- a/drivers/md/raid1.c
+++ b/drivers/md/raid1.c
@@ -1809,6 +1809,17 @@ static int raid1_remove_disk(struct mddev *mddev, struct md_rdev *rdev)
 			struct md_rdev *repl =
 				conf->mirrors[conf->raid_disks + number].rdev;
 			freeze_array(conf, 0);
+			if (atomic_read(&repl->nr_pending)) {
+				/* It means that some queued IO of retry_list
+				 * hold repl. Thus, we cannot set replacement
+				 * as NULL, avoiding rdev NULL pointer
+				 * dereference in sync_request_write and
+				 * handle_write_finished.
+				 */
+				err = -EBUSY;
+				unfreeze_array(conf);
+				goto abort;
+			}
 			clear_bit(Replacement, &repl->flags);
 			p->rdev = repl;
 			conf->mirrors[conf->raid_disks + number].rdev = NULL;