diff --git a/drivers/md/bcache/writeback.c b/drivers/md/bcache/writeback.c
index a1d760916246..3accfdaee6b1 100644
--- a/drivers/md/bcache/writeback.c
+++ b/drivers/md/bcache/writeback.c
@@ -1025,17 +1025,18 @@ retry_lock:
 		if (atomic_read(&state.enough))
 			break;
 
+		atomic_inc(&state.started);
 		state.infos[i].state = &state;
 		state.infos[i].thread =
 			kthread_run(bch_dirty_init_thread, &state.infos[i],
 				    "bch_dirtcnt[%d]", i);
 		if (IS_ERR(state.infos[i].thread)) {
 			pr_err("fails to run thread bch_dirty_init[%d]\n", i);
+			atomic_dec(&state.started);
 			for (--i; i >= 0; i--)
 				kthread_stop(state.infos[i].thread);
 			goto out;
 		}
-		atomic_inc(&state.started);
 	}
 
 out: