diff --git a/block/bio.c b/block/bio.c
index 5ac954c70dd0..de56d3f10c56 100644
--- a/block/bio.c
+++ b/block/bio.c
@@ -555,6 +555,14 @@ struct bio *bio_alloc_bioset(struct block_device *bdev, unsigned short nr_vecs,
 		bio = bio_alloc_percpu_cache(bs);
 	} else {
 		opf &= ~REQ_ALLOC_CACHE;
+	}
+
+	/*
+	 * For a bioset without a percpu cache, or when the percpu cache was
+	 * empty, try a slab allocation with optimistic GFP_ flags before
+	 * falling back to the mempool.
+	 */
+	if (!bio) {
 		p = kmem_cache_alloc(bs->bio_slab, gfp);
 		if (p)
 			bio = p + bs->front_pad;