diff --git a/drivers/scsi/scsi.c b/drivers/scsi/scsi.c
index ee6be596503d..762a8797e0be 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/scsi.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/scsi.c
@@ -664,13 +664,14 @@ int scsi_dispatch_cmd(struct scsi_cmnd *cmd)
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	/* Check to see if the scsi lld put this device into state SDEV_BLOCK. */
-	if (unlikely(cmd->device->sdev_state == SDEV_BLOCK)) {
+	/* Check to see if the scsi lld made this device blocked. */
+	if (unlikely(scsi_device_blocked(cmd->device))) {
 		/* 
-		 * in SDEV_BLOCK, the command is just put back on the device
-		 * queue.  The suspend state has already blocked the queue so
-		 * future requests should not occur until the device 
-		 * transitions out of the suspend state.
+		 * in blocked state, the command is just put back on
+		 * the device queue.  The suspend state has already
+		 * blocked the queue so future requests should not
+		 * occur until the device transitions out of the
+		 * suspend state.
 		 */
 		scsi_queue_insert(cmd, SCSI_MLQUEUE_DEVICE_BUSY);
 
diff --git a/drivers/scsi/scsi_scan.c b/drivers/scsi/scsi_scan.c
index 34d0de6cd511..2926baaac31e 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/scsi_scan.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/scsi_scan.c
@@ -994,7 +994,7 @@ static int scsi_probe_and_add_lun(struct scsi_target *starget,
 	 */
 	sdev = scsi_device_lookup_by_target(starget, lun);
 	if (sdev) {
-		if (rescan || sdev->sdev_state != SDEV_CREATED) {
+		if (rescan || !scsi_device_created(sdev)) {
 			SCSI_LOG_SCAN_BUS(3, printk(KERN_INFO
 				"scsi scan: device exists on %s\n",
 				sdev->sdev_gendev.bus_id));
@@ -1467,7 +1467,7 @@ static int scsi_report_lun_scan(struct scsi_target *starget, int bflags,
 	kfree(lun_data);
  out:
 	scsi_device_put(sdev);
-	if (sdev->sdev_state == SDEV_CREATED)
+	if (scsi_device_created(sdev))
 		/*
 		 * the sdev we used didn't appear in the report luns scan
 		 */
diff --git a/include/scsi/scsi_device.h b/include/scsi/scsi_device.h
index 80b2e93c2936..cc46652e4658 100644
--- a/include/scsi/scsi_device.h
+++ b/include/scsi/scsi_device.h
@@ -384,10 +384,21 @@ static inline unsigned int sdev_id(struct scsi_device *sdev)
 #define scmd_id(scmd) sdev_id((scmd)->device)
 #define scmd_channel(scmd) sdev_channel((scmd)->device)
 
+/*
+ * checks for positions of the SCSI state machine
+ */
 static inline int scsi_device_online(struct scsi_device *sdev)
 {
 	return sdev->sdev_state != SDEV_OFFLINE;
 }
+static inline int scsi_device_blocked(struct scsi_device *sdev)
+{
+	return sdev->sdev_state == SDEV_BLOCK;
+}
+static inline int scsi_device_created(struct scsi_device *sdev)
+{
+	return sdev->sdev_state == SDEV_CREATED;
+}
 
 /* accessor functions for the SCSI parameters */
 static inline int scsi_device_sync(struct scsi_device *sdev)