diff --git a/lib/iscsi/conn.c b/lib/iscsi/conn.c
index e8323f415..97314a59c 100644
--- a/lib/iscsi/conn.c
+++ b/lib/iscsi/conn.c
@@ -305,15 +305,8 @@ void
 spdk_iscsi_conn_free_pdu(struct spdk_iscsi_conn *conn, struct spdk_iscsi_pdu *pdu)
 {
 	if (pdu->task) {
-		if (pdu->bhs.opcode == ISCSI_OP_SCSI_DATAIN) {
-			if (pdu->task != spdk_iscsi_task_get_primary(pdu->task)) {
-				assert(conn->data_in_cnt > 0);
-				conn->data_in_cnt--;
-				spdk_iscsi_conn_handle_queued_datain_tasks(conn);
-			}
-		}
-
 		spdk_iscsi_task_put(pdu->task);
+		spdk_iscsi_conn_handle_queued_datain_tasks(conn);
 	}
 	spdk_put_pdu(pdu);
 }
@@ -348,10 +341,6 @@ _iscsi_conn_free_tasks(struct spdk_iscsi_conn *conn, struct spdk_scsi_lun *lun)
 	TAILQ_FOREACH_SAFE(iscsi_task, &conn->queued_datain_tasks, link, tmp_iscsi_task) {
 		if ((!iscsi_task->is_queued) && (lun == NULL || lun == iscsi_task->scsi.lun)) {
 			TAILQ_REMOVE(&conn->queued_datain_tasks, iscsi_task, link);
-			if (iscsi_task->current_datain_offset > 0) {
-				assert(conn->data_in_cnt > 0);
-				conn->data_in_cnt--;
-			}
 			spdk_iscsi_task_put(iscsi_task);
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/lib/iscsi/iscsi.c b/lib/iscsi/iscsi.c
index 27e0afa29..bfe2fb960 100644
--- a/lib/iscsi/iscsi.c
+++ b/lib/iscsi/iscsi.c
@@ -3035,10 +3035,6 @@ iscsi_transfer_in(struct spdk_iscsi_conn *conn, struct spdk_iscsi_task *task)
 	transfer_len = task->scsi.length;
 
 	if (task->scsi.status != SPDK_SCSI_STATUS_GOOD) {
-		if (task != primary) {
-			assert(conn->data_in_cnt > 0);
-			conn->data_in_cnt--;
-		}
 		return 0;
 	}
 
@@ -3261,7 +3257,6 @@ int spdk_iscsi_conn_handle_queued_datain_tasks(struct spdk_iscsi_conn *conn)
 			assert(subtask != NULL);
 			subtask->scsi.offset = task->current_datain_offset;
 			spdk_scsi_task_set_data(&subtask->scsi, NULL, 0);
-			conn->data_in_cnt++;
 
 			if (spdk_scsi_dev_get_lun(conn->dev, task->lun_id) == NULL) {
 				/* Stop submitting split read I/Os for remaining data. */
@@ -3604,7 +3599,6 @@ _iscsi_conn_abort_queued_datain_task(struct spdk_iscsi_conn *conn,
 			subtask->scsi.length = DMIN32(SPDK_BDEV_LARGE_BUF_MAX_SIZE, remaining_size);
 			spdk_scsi_task_set_data(&subtask->scsi, NULL, 0);
 			task->current_datain_offset += subtask->scsi.length;
-			conn->data_in_cnt++;
 
 			subtask->scsi.transfer_len = subtask->scsi.length;
 			spdk_scsi_task_process_abort(&subtask->scsi);
diff --git a/lib/iscsi/task.c b/lib/iscsi/task.c
index 93fa4b1bf..40e6f9fd8 100644
--- a/lib/iscsi/task.c
+++ b/lib/iscsi/task.c
@@ -43,6 +43,11 @@ iscsi_task_free(struct spdk_scsi_task *scsi_task)
 	struct spdk_iscsi_task *task = spdk_iscsi_task_from_scsi_task(scsi_task);
 
 	if (task->parent) {
+		if (task->scsi.dxfer_dir == SPDK_SCSI_DIR_FROM_DEV) {
+			assert(task->conn->data_in_cnt > 0);
+			task->conn->data_in_cnt--;
+		}
+
 		spdk_scsi_task_put(&task->parent->scsi);
 		task->parent = NULL;
 	}
@@ -65,6 +70,7 @@ spdk_iscsi_task_get(struct spdk_iscsi_conn *conn, struct spdk_iscsi_task *parent
 		abort();
 	}
 
+	assert(conn != NULL);
 	memset(task, 0, sizeof(*task));
 	task->conn = conn;
 	assert(conn->pending_task_cnt < UINT32_MAX);
@@ -83,6 +89,9 @@ spdk_iscsi_task_get(struct spdk_iscsi_conn *conn, struct spdk_iscsi_task *parent
 		task->scsi.cdb = parent->scsi.cdb;
 		task->scsi.target_port = parent->scsi.target_port;
 		task->scsi.initiator_port = parent->scsi.initiator_port;
+		if (task->scsi.dxfer_dir == SPDK_SCSI_DIR_FROM_DEV) {
+			conn->data_in_cnt++;
+		}
 	}
 
 	return task;
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/iscsi/common.c b/test/unit/lib/iscsi/common.c
index a29b39cc6..2ae3ada79 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/iscsi/common.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/iscsi/common.c
@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@ spdk_iscsi_task_get(struct spdk_iscsi_conn *conn,
 		task->scsi.cdb = parent->scsi.cdb;
 		task->scsi.target_port = parent->scsi.target_port;
 		task->scsi.initiator_port = parent->scsi.initiator_port;
+		if (conn && (task->scsi.dxfer_dir == SPDK_SCSI_DIR_FROM_DEV)) {
+			conn->data_in_cnt++;
+		}
 	}
 
 	task->scsi.iovs = &task->scsi.iov;
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/iscsi/conn.c/conn_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/iscsi/conn.c/conn_ut.c
index 0eeb84de3..c4cf65578 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/iscsi/conn.c/conn_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/iscsi/conn.c/conn_ut.c
@@ -162,7 +162,6 @@ DEFINE_STUB(spdk_del_transfer_task, bool,
 int
 spdk_iscsi_conn_handle_queued_datain_tasks(struct spdk_iscsi_conn *conn)
 {
-	CU_ASSERT(TAILQ_EMPTY(&conn->write_pdu_list));
 	return 0;
 }