unsigned long flags;
 
        spin_lock_irqsave(q->queue_lock, flags);
-       if (!as_queue_empty(q))
-               q->request_fn(q);
+       blk_start_queueing(q);
        spin_unlock_irqrestore(q->queue_lock, flags);
 }
 
 
        __cfq_set_active_queue(cfqd, cfqq);
 }
 
-/*
- * should really be a ll_rw_blk.c helper
- */
-static void cfq_start_queueing(struct cfq_data *cfqd, struct cfq_queue *cfqq)
-{
-       request_queue_t *q = cfqd->queue;
-
-       if (!blk_queue_plugged(q))
-               q->request_fn(q);
-       else
-               __generic_unplug_device(q);
-}
-
 /*
  * Called when a new fs request (rq) is added (to cfqq). Check if there's
  * something we should do about it
                if (cic == cfqd->active_cic &&
                    del_timer(&cfqd->idle_slice_timer)) {
                        cfq_slice_expired(cfqd, 0);
-                       cfq_start_queueing(cfqd, cfqq);
+                       blk_start_queueing(cfqd->queue);
                }
                return;
        }
                if (cfq_cfqq_wait_request(cfqq)) {
                        cfq_mark_cfqq_must_dispatch(cfqq);
                        del_timer(&cfqd->idle_slice_timer);
-                       cfq_start_queueing(cfqd, cfqq);
+                       blk_start_queueing(cfqd->queue);
                }
        } else if (cfq_should_preempt(cfqd, cfqq, rq)) {
                /*
                 */
                cfq_preempt_queue(cfqd, cfqq);
                cfq_mark_cfqq_must_dispatch(cfqq);
-               cfq_start_queueing(cfqd, cfqq);
+               blk_start_queueing(cfqd->queue);
        }
 }
 
        unsigned long flags;
 
        spin_lock_irqsave(q->queue_lock, flags);
-       blk_remove_plug(q);
-       q->request_fn(q);
+       blk_start_queueing(q);
        spin_unlock_irqrestore(q->queue_lock, flags);
 }
 
 
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(blk_get_request);
 
+/**
+ * blk_start_queueing - initiate dispatch of requests to device
+ * @q:         request queue to kick into gear
+ *
+ * This is basically a helper to remove the need to know whether a queue
+ * is plugged or not if someone just wants to initiate dispatch of requests
+ * for this queue.
+ *
+ * The queue lock must be held with interrupts disabled.
+ */
+void blk_start_queueing(request_queue_t *q)
+{
+       if (!blk_queue_plugged(q))
+               q->request_fn(q);
+       else
+               __generic_unplug_device(q);
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(blk_start_queueing);
+
 /**
  * blk_requeue_request - put a request back on queue
  * @q:         request queue where request should be inserted
 
        drive_stat_acct(rq, rq->nr_sectors, 1);
        __elv_add_request(q, rq, where, 0);
-
-       if (blk_queue_plugged(q))
-               __generic_unplug_device(q);
-       else
-               q->request_fn(q);
+       blk_start_queueing(q);
        spin_unlock_irqrestore(q->queue_lock, flags);
 }
 
 
 extern void blk_sync_queue(struct request_queue *q);
 extern void __blk_stop_queue(request_queue_t *q);
 extern void blk_run_queue(request_queue_t *);
+extern void blk_start_queueing(request_queue_t *);
 extern void blk_queue_activity_fn(request_queue_t *, activity_fn *, void *);
 extern int blk_rq_map_user(request_queue_t *, struct request *, void __user *, unsigned int);
 extern int blk_rq_unmap_user(struct bio *, unsigned int);