diff --git a/lib/ftl/ftl_core.c b/lib/ftl/ftl_core.c
index 3c9de5ba3..7137f3c2f 100644
--- a/lib/ftl/ftl_core.c
+++ b/lib/ftl/ftl_core.c
@@ -219,6 +219,12 @@ ftl_get_next_batch(struct spdk_ftl_dev *dev)
 	uint64_t *metadata;
 
 	if (batch == NULL) {
+		batch = TAILQ_FIRST(&dev->pending_batches);
+		if (batch != NULL) {
+			TAILQ_REMOVE(&dev->pending_batches, batch, tailq);
+			return batch;
+		}
+
 		batch = TAILQ_FIRST(&dev->free_batches);
 		if (spdk_unlikely(batch == NULL)) {
 			return NULL;
diff --git a/lib/ftl/ftl_core.h b/lib/ftl/ftl_core.h
index e02689dae..41cc0bcc3 100644
--- a/lib/ftl/ftl_core.h
+++ b/lib/ftl/ftl_core.h
@@ -234,6 +234,10 @@ struct spdk_ftl_dev {
 	struct iovec				*iov_buf;
 	/* Batch currently being filled  */
 	struct ftl_batch			*current_batch;
+	/* Full and ready to be sent batches. A batch is put on this queue in
+	 * case it's already filled, but cannot be sent.
+	 */
+	TAILQ_HEAD(, ftl_batch)			pending_batches;
 	TAILQ_HEAD(, ftl_batch)			free_batches;
 
 	/* Devices' list */
diff --git a/lib/ftl/ftl_init.c b/lib/ftl/ftl_init.c
index e5e9237eb..c6407f9fb 100644
--- a/lib/ftl/ftl_init.c
+++ b/lib/ftl/ftl_init.c
@@ -1225,6 +1225,7 @@ ftl_dev_init_io_channel(struct spdk_ftl_dev *dev)
 	}
 
 	TAILQ_INIT(&dev->free_batches);
+	TAILQ_INIT(&dev->pending_batches);
 	TAILQ_INIT(&dev->ioch_queue);
 
 	for (i = 0; i < FTL_BATCH_COUNT; ++i) {
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/ftl/ftl_io.c/ftl_io_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/ftl/ftl_io.c/ftl_io_ut.c
index b5a3847b7..c9623ff24 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/ftl/ftl_io.c/ftl_io_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/ftl/ftl_io.c/ftl_io_ut.c
@@ -807,7 +807,7 @@ test_submit_batch(void)
 	struct spdk_io_channel **_ioch_array;
 	struct ftl_io_channel **ioch_array;
 	struct ftl_wbuf_entry *entry;
-	struct ftl_batch *batch;
+	struct ftl_batch *batch, *batch2;
 	uint32_t num_io_channels = 16;
 	uint32_t ioch_idx, tmp_idx, entry_idx;
 	uint64_t ioch_bitmap;
@@ -906,6 +906,41 @@ test_submit_batch(void)
 			  ioch_array[ioch_idx]->num_entries);
 	}
 
+	/* Make sure pending batches are prioritized */
+	for (ioch_idx = 0; ioch_idx < num_io_channels; ++ioch_idx) {
+		set_thread(ioch_idx);
+
+		while (spdk_ring_count(ioch_array[ioch_idx]->submit_queue) < dev->xfer_size) {
+			entry = ftl_acquire_wbuf_entry(ioch_array[ioch_idx], 0);
+			SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(entry != NULL);
+			num_entries = spdk_ring_enqueue(ioch_array[ioch_idx]->submit_queue,
+							(void **)&entry, 1, NULL);
+			CU_ASSERT(num_entries == 1);
+		}
+	}
+
+	batch = ftl_get_next_batch(dev);
+	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(batch != NULL);
+
+	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&dev->pending_batches, batch, tailq);
+	batch2 = ftl_get_next_batch(dev);
+	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(batch2 != NULL);
+
+	CU_ASSERT(TAILQ_EMPTY(&dev->pending_batches));
+	CU_ASSERT(batch == batch2);
+
+	batch = ftl_get_next_batch(dev);
+	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(batch != NULL);
+
+	ftl_release_batch(dev, batch);
+	ftl_release_batch(dev, batch2);
+
+	for (ioch_idx = 2; ioch_idx < num_io_channels; ++ioch_idx) {
+		batch = ftl_get_next_batch(dev);
+		SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(batch != NULL);
+		ftl_release_batch(dev, batch);
+	}
+
 	for (ioch_idx = 0; ioch_idx < num_io_channels; ++ioch_idx) {
 		set_thread(ioch_idx);
 		spdk_put_io_channel(_ioch_array[ioch_idx]);