Index: sys/dev/mpi3mr/mpi3mr.h
===================================================================
--- sys/dev/mpi3mr/mpi3mr.h
+++ sys/dev/mpi3mr/mpi3mr.h
@@ -446,8 +446,7 @@
 
 enum mpi3mr_target_state {
 	MPI3MR_DEV_CREATED = 1,
-	MPI3MR_DEV_REMOVE_HS_STARTED = 2,
-	MPI3MR_DEV_DELETED = 3,
+	MPI3MR_DEV_REMOVE_HS_COMPLETED = 2,
 };
 
 struct mpi3mr_cmd {
Index: sys/dev/mpi3mr/mpi3mr.c
===================================================================
--- sys/dev/mpi3mr/mpi3mr.c
+++ sys/dev/mpi3mr/mpi3mr.c
@@ -3477,6 +3477,7 @@
 {
 	U16 cmd_idx = drv_cmd->host_tag - MPI3MR_HOSTTAG_DEVRMCMD_MIN;
 	struct delayed_dev_rmhs_node *delayed_dev_rmhs = NULL;
+	struct mpi3mr_target *tgtdev = NULL;
 
 	mpi3mr_dprint(sc, MPI3MR_EVENT,
 	    "%s :dev_rmhs_iouctrl_complete:handle(0x%04x), ioc_status(0x%04x), loginfo(0x%08x)\n",
@@ -3497,6 +3498,13 @@
 		    "%s :dev removal handshake failed after all retries: handle(0x%04x)\n",
 		    __func__, drv_cmd->dev_handle);
 	} else {
+		mtx_lock_spin(&sc->target_lock);
+		TAILQ_FOREACH(tgtdev, &sc->cam_sc->tgt_list, tgt_next) {
+		       if (tgtdev->dev_handle == drv_cmd->dev_handle)
+			       tgtdev->state = MPI3MR_DEV_REMOVE_HS_COMPLETED;
+		}
+		mtx_unlock_spin(&sc->target_lock);
+
 		mpi3mr_dprint(sc, MPI3MR_INFO,
 		    "%s :dev removal handshake completed successfully: handle(0x%04x)\n",
 		    __func__, drv_cmd->dev_handle);
@@ -3604,18 +3612,7 @@
 	U8 retrycount = 5;
 	struct mpi3mr_drvr_cmd *drv_cmd = cmdparam;
 	struct delayed_dev_rmhs_node *delayed_dev_rmhs = NULL;
-	struct mpi3mr_target *tgtdev = NULL;
 	
-	mtx_lock_spin(&sc->target_lock);
-	TAILQ_FOREACH(tgtdev, &sc->cam_sc->tgt_list, tgt_next) {
-		if ((tgtdev->dev_handle == handle) &&
-		    (iou_rc == MPI3_CTRL_OP_REMOVE_DEVICE)) {
-			tgtdev->state = MPI3MR_DEV_REMOVE_HS_STARTED;
-			break;
-		}
-	}
-	mtx_unlock_spin(&sc->target_lock);
-
 	if (drv_cmd)
 		goto issue_cmd;
 	do {
Index: sys/dev/mpi3mr/mpi3mr_cam.c
===================================================================
--- sys/dev/mpi3mr/mpi3mr_cam.c
+++ sys/dev/mpi3mr/mpi3mr_cam.c
@@ -1822,6 +1822,17 @@
 
 	target->flags |= MPI3MRSAS_TARGET_INREMOVAL;
 
+	if (mpi3mr_atomic_read(&target->outstanding)) {
+		mpi3mr_dprint(sc, MPI3MR_ERROR, "there are [%2d] outstanding IOs on target: %d"
+			      "Poll reply queue once\n", mpi3mr_atomic_read(&target->outstanding),
+			      target->per_id);
+		mpi3mr_poll_pend_io_completions(sc);
+		if (mpi3mr_atomic_read(&target->outstanding))
+			mpi3mr_dprint(sc, MPI3MR_ERROR, "[%2d] outstanding IOs present on target: %d"
+				      "despite poll\n", mpi3mr_atomic_read(&target->outstanding),
+				      target->per_id);
+	}
+
 	while (mpi3mr_atomic_read(&target->outstanding) && (i < 30)) {
 		i++;
 		if (!(i % 2)) {
@@ -1848,18 +1859,16 @@
 void mpi3mr_remove_device_from_list(struct mpi3mr_softc *sc,
 	struct mpi3mr_target *target, bool must_delete)
 {
+	if ((must_delete == false) &&
+	    (target->state != MPI3MR_DEV_REMOVE_HS_COMPLETED))
+		return;
+
 	mtx_lock_spin(&sc->target_lock);
-	if ((target->state == MPI3MR_DEV_REMOVE_HS_STARTED) ||
-	    (must_delete == true)) {
-		TAILQ_REMOVE(&sc->cam_sc->tgt_list, target, tgt_next);
-		target->state = MPI3MR_DEV_DELETED;
-	}
+	TAILQ_REMOVE(&sc->cam_sc->tgt_list, target, tgt_next);
 	mtx_unlock_spin(&sc->target_lock);
 
-	if (target->state == MPI3MR_DEV_DELETED) {
- 		free(target, M_MPI3MR);
- 		target = NULL;
- 	}
+	free(target, M_MPI3MR);
+	target = NULL;
 	
 	return;
 }