diff --git a/drivers/md/dm-bufio.c b/drivers/md/dm-bufio.c
index dac9f1f84c34..d63f94ab1d9f 100644
--- a/drivers/md/dm-bufio.c
+++ b/drivers/md/dm-bufio.c
@@ -1152,7 +1152,8 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(dm_bufio_get);
 void *dm_bufio_read(struct dm_bufio_client *c, sector_t block,
 		    struct dm_buffer **bp)
 {
-	BUG_ON(dm_bufio_in_request());
+	if (WARN_ON_ONCE(dm_bufio_in_request()))
+		return ERR_PTR(-EINVAL);
 
 	return new_read(c, block, NF_READ, bp);
 }
@@ -1161,7 +1162,8 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(dm_bufio_read);
 void *dm_bufio_new(struct dm_bufio_client *c, sector_t block,
 		   struct dm_buffer **bp)
 {
-	BUG_ON(dm_bufio_in_request());
+	if (WARN_ON_ONCE(dm_bufio_in_request()))
+		return ERR_PTR(-EINVAL);
 
 	return new_read(c, block, NF_FRESH, bp);
 }
@@ -1174,7 +1176,8 @@ void dm_bufio_prefetch(struct dm_bufio_client *c,
 
 	LIST_HEAD(write_list);
 
-	BUG_ON(dm_bufio_in_request());
+	if (WARN_ON_ONCE(dm_bufio_in_request()))
+		return; /* should never happen */
 
 	blk_start_plug(&plug);
 	dm_bufio_lock(c);
@@ -1281,7 +1284,8 @@ void dm_bufio_write_dirty_buffers_async(struct dm_bufio_client *c)
 {
 	LIST_HEAD(write_list);
 
-	BUG_ON(dm_bufio_in_request());
+	if (WARN_ON_ONCE(dm_bufio_in_request()))
+		return; /* should never happen */
 
 	dm_bufio_lock(c);
 	__write_dirty_buffers_async(c, 0, &write_list);
@@ -1386,7 +1390,8 @@ int dm_bufio_issue_flush(struct dm_bufio_client *c)
 		.count = 0,
 	};
 
-	BUG_ON(dm_bufio_in_request());
+	if (WARN_ON_ONCE(dm_bufio_in_request()))
+		return -EINVAL;
 
 	return dm_io(&io_req, 1, &io_reg, NULL);
 }
@@ -1409,7 +1414,8 @@ int dm_bufio_issue_discard(struct dm_bufio_client *c, sector_t block, sector_t c
 		.count = block_to_sector(c, count),
 	};
 
-	BUG_ON(dm_bufio_in_request());
+	if (WARN_ON_ONCE(dm_bufio_in_request()))
+		return -EINVAL; /* discards are optional */
 
 	return dm_io(&io_req, 1, &io_reg, NULL);
 }