diff --git a/lib/scsi/dev.c b/lib/scsi/dev.c
index 424902f57..c7bbbfae0 100644
--- a/lib/scsi/dev.c
+++ b/lib/scsi/dev.c
@@ -262,7 +262,8 @@ spdk_scsi_dev_queue_task(struct spdk_scsi_dev *dev,
 {
 	assert(task != NULL);
 
-	spdk_scsi_lun_execute_task(task->lun, task);
+	spdk_scsi_lun_append_task(task->lun, task);
+	spdk_scsi_lun_execute_tasks(task->lun);
 }
 
 static struct spdk_scsi_port *
diff --git a/lib/scsi/lun.c b/lib/scsi/lun.c
index d88409baf..fbd36b202 100644
--- a/lib/scsi/lun.c
+++ b/lib/scsi/lun.c
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 #include "spdk/thread.h"
 #include "spdk/event.h"
 #include "spdk/util.h"
+#include "spdk/likely.h"
 
 void
 spdk_scsi_lun_complete_task(struct spdk_scsi_lun *lun, struct spdk_scsi_task *task)
@@ -131,7 +132,9 @@ spdk_scsi_lun_execute_mgmt_task(struct spdk_scsi_lun *lun)
 	}
 
 	task = TAILQ_FIRST(&lun->pending_mgmt_tasks);
-	if (task == NULL) {
+	if (spdk_likely(task == NULL)) {
+		/* Try to execute all pending tasks */
+		spdk_scsi_lun_execute_tasks(lun);
 		return;
 	}
 	TAILQ_REMOVE(&lun->pending_mgmt_tasks, task, scsi_link);
@@ -176,8 +179,8 @@ spdk_scsi_task_process_null_lun(struct spdk_scsi_task *task)
 	}
 }
 
-void
-spdk_scsi_lun_execute_task(struct spdk_scsi_lun *lun, struct spdk_scsi_task *task)
+static void
+_spdk_scsi_lun_execute_task(struct spdk_scsi_lun *lun, struct spdk_scsi_task *task)
 {
 	int rc;
 
@@ -207,6 +210,29 @@ spdk_scsi_lun_execute_task(struct spdk_scsi_lun *lun, struct spdk_scsi_task *tas
 	}
 }
 
+void
+spdk_scsi_lun_append_task(struct spdk_scsi_lun *lun, struct spdk_scsi_task *task)
+{
+	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&lun->pending_tasks, task, scsi_link);
+}
+
+void
+spdk_scsi_lun_execute_tasks(struct spdk_scsi_lun *lun)
+{
+	struct spdk_scsi_task *task, *task_tmp;
+
+	if (spdk_scsi_lun_has_pending_mgmt_tasks(lun)) {
+		/* Pending IO tasks will wait for completion of existing mgmt tasks.
+		 */
+		return;
+	}
+
+	TAILQ_FOREACH_SAFE(task, &lun->pending_tasks, scsi_link, task_tmp) {
+		TAILQ_REMOVE(&lun->pending_tasks, task, scsi_link);
+		_spdk_scsi_lun_execute_task(lun, task);
+	}
+}
+
 static void
 spdk_scsi_lun_remove(struct spdk_scsi_lun *lun)
 {
@@ -344,6 +370,7 @@ spdk_scsi_lun_construct(struct spdk_bdev *bdev,
 	}
 
 	TAILQ_INIT(&lun->tasks);
+	TAILQ_INIT(&lun->pending_tasks);
 	TAILQ_INIT(&lun->mgmt_tasks);
 	TAILQ_INIT(&lun->pending_mgmt_tasks);
 
@@ -476,10 +503,12 @@ spdk_scsi_lun_has_pending_mgmt_tasks(const struct spdk_scsi_lun *lun)
 	       !TAILQ_EMPTY(&lun->mgmt_tasks);
 }
 
+/* This check includes both pending and submitted (outstanding) tasks. */
 bool
 spdk_scsi_lun_has_pending_tasks(const struct spdk_scsi_lun *lun)
 {
-	return !TAILQ_EMPTY(&lun->tasks);
+	return !TAILQ_EMPTY(&lun->pending_tasks) ||
+	       !TAILQ_EMPTY(&lun->tasks);
 }
 
 bool
diff --git a/lib/scsi/scsi_internal.h b/lib/scsi/scsi_internal.h
index eecd7db65..4beb705b7 100644
--- a/lib/scsi/scsi_internal.h
+++ b/lib/scsi/scsi_internal.h
@@ -115,9 +115,12 @@ struct spdk_scsi_lun {
 	/** List of open descriptors for this LUN. */
 	TAILQ_HEAD(, spdk_scsi_desc) open_descs;
 
-	/** pending tasks */
+	/** submitted tasks */
 	TAILQ_HEAD(tasks, spdk_scsi_task) tasks;
 
+	/** pending tasks */
+	TAILQ_HEAD(pending_tasks, spdk_scsi_task) pending_tasks;
+
 	/** submitted management tasks */
 	TAILQ_HEAD(mgmt_tasks, spdk_scsi_task) mgmt_tasks;
 
@@ -143,7 +146,8 @@ _spdk_scsi_lun *spdk_scsi_lun_construct(struct spdk_bdev *bdev,
 					void *hotremove_ctx);
 void spdk_scsi_lun_destruct(struct spdk_scsi_lun *lun);
 
-void spdk_scsi_lun_execute_task(struct spdk_scsi_lun *lun, struct spdk_scsi_task *task);
+void spdk_scsi_lun_append_task(struct spdk_scsi_lun *lun, struct spdk_scsi_task *task);
+void spdk_scsi_lun_execute_tasks(struct spdk_scsi_lun *lun);
 void spdk_scsi_lun_append_mgmt_task(struct spdk_scsi_lun *lun, struct spdk_scsi_task *task);
 void spdk_scsi_lun_execute_mgmt_task(struct spdk_scsi_lun *lun);
 bool spdk_scsi_lun_has_pending_mgmt_tasks(const struct spdk_scsi_lun *lun);
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/scsi/dev.c/dev_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/scsi/dev.c/dev_ut.c
index 21fb50533..859667d28 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/scsi/dev.c/dev_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/scsi/dev.c/dev_ut.c
@@ -128,7 +128,12 @@ spdk_scsi_lun_has_pending_mgmt_tasks(const struct spdk_scsi_lun *lun)
 }
 
 void
-spdk_scsi_lun_execute_task(struct spdk_scsi_lun *lun, struct spdk_scsi_task *task)
+spdk_scsi_lun_append_task(struct spdk_scsi_lun *lun, struct spdk_scsi_task *task)
+{
+}
+
+void
+spdk_scsi_lun_execute_tasks(struct spdk_scsi_lun *lun)
 {
 }
 
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/scsi/lun.c/lun_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/scsi/lun.c/lun_ut.c
index c2698975f..b0e5bb907 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/scsi/lun.c/lun_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/scsi/lun.c/lun_ut.c
@@ -245,7 +245,8 @@ lun_task_mgmt_execute_abort_task_not_supported(void)
 	task.lun = lun;
 	task.cdb = cdb;
 
-	spdk_scsi_lun_execute_task(lun, &task);
+	spdk_scsi_lun_append_task(lun, &task);
+	spdk_scsi_lun_execute_tasks(lun);
 
 	/* task should now be on the tasks list */
 	CU_ASSERT(!TAILQ_EMPTY(&lun->tasks));
@@ -289,7 +290,8 @@ lun_task_mgmt_execute_abort_task_all_not_supported(void)
 	task.lun = lun;
 	task.cdb = cdb;
 
-	spdk_scsi_lun_execute_task(lun, &task);
+	spdk_scsi_lun_append_task(lun, &task);
+	spdk_scsi_lun_execute_tasks(lun);
 
 	/* task should now be on the tasks list */
 	CU_ASSERT(!TAILQ_EMPTY(&lun->tasks));
@@ -453,7 +455,8 @@ lun_execute_scsi_task_pending(void)
 	 */
 	CU_ASSERT(TAILQ_EMPTY(&lun->tasks));
 
-	spdk_scsi_lun_execute_task(lun, &task);
+	spdk_scsi_lun_append_task(lun, &task);
+	spdk_scsi_lun_execute_tasks(lun);
 
 	/* Assert the task has been successfully added to the tasks queue */
 	CU_ASSERT(!TAILQ_EMPTY(&lun->tasks));
@@ -490,7 +493,8 @@ lun_execute_scsi_task_complete(void)
 	 */
 	CU_ASSERT(TAILQ_EMPTY(&lun->tasks));
 
-	spdk_scsi_lun_execute_task(lun, &task);
+	spdk_scsi_lun_append_task(lun, &task);
+	spdk_scsi_lun_execute_tasks(lun);
 
 	/* Assert the task has not been added to the tasks queue */
 	CU_ASSERT(TAILQ_EMPTY(&lun->tasks));