diff --git a/scst/include/scst.h b/scst/include/scst.h
index 2079e8142..ecc4e6361 100644
--- a/scst/include/scst.h
+++ b/scst/include/scst.h
@@ -3156,7 +3156,7 @@ struct scst_tgt_dev {
 	 */
 	int tgt_dev_dif_guard_format;
 
-	/* How many cmds alive on this dev in this session */
+	/* One more than the number of commands associated with this tgt_dev. */
 	atomic_t tgt_dev_cmd_count ____cacheline_aligned_in_smp;
 
 	/* ALUA command filter */
@@ -4776,7 +4776,7 @@ static inline int scst_cmd_get_block_size(struct scst_cmd *cmd)
 static inline unsigned int scst_get_active_cmd_count(struct scst_cmd *cmd)
 {
 	if (likely(cmd->tgt_dev != NULL))
-		return atomic_read(&cmd->tgt_dev->tgt_dev_cmd_count);
+		return atomic_read(&cmd->tgt_dev->tgt_dev_cmd_count) - 1;
 	else
 		return (unsigned int)-1;
 }
diff --git a/scst/src/scst_lib.c b/scst/src/scst_lib.c
index 20a7ffe8c..abf9c1db3 100644
--- a/scst/src/scst_lib.c
+++ b/scst/src/scst_lib.c
@@ -5373,7 +5373,7 @@ static int scst_alloc_add_tgt_dev(struct scst_session *sess,
 	atomic_set(&tgt_dev->tgt_dev_dif_guard_failed_dev, 0);
 
 	tgt_dev->sess = sess;
-	atomic_set(&tgt_dev->tgt_dev_cmd_count, 0);
+	atomic_set(&tgt_dev->tgt_dev_cmd_count, 1);
 	if (acg_dev->acg->acg_black_hole_type != SCST_ACG_BLACK_HOLE_NONE)
 		set_bit(SCST_TGT_DEV_BLACK_HOLE, &tgt_dev->tgt_dev_flags);
 	else
@@ -5552,6 +5552,8 @@ static void scst_del_tgt_dev(struct scst_tgt_dev *tgt_dev)
 	list_del_rcu(&tgt_dev->sess_tgt_dev_list_entry);
 
 	scst_tgt_dev_sysfs_del(tgt_dev);
+
+	atomic_dec(&tgt_dev->tgt_dev_cmd_count);
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/scst/src/scst_pres.c b/scst/src/scst_pres.c
index b3022c644..68446a6b3 100644
--- a/scst/src/scst_pres.c
+++ b/scst/src/scst_pres.c
@@ -607,7 +607,7 @@ static void scst_pr_abort_reg(struct scst_device *dev,
 
 	TRACE_PR("Aborting %d commands for %s/%d (reg %p, key 0x%016llx, "
 		"tgt_dev %p, sess %p)",
-		atomic_read(&reg->tgt_dev->tgt_dev_cmd_count),
+		atomic_read(&reg->tgt_dev->tgt_dev_cmd_count) - 1,
 		debug_transport_id_to_initiator_name(reg->transport_id),
 		reg->rel_tgt_id, reg, be64_to_cpu(reg->key), reg->tgt_dev,
 		sess);
diff --git a/scst/src/scst_sysfs.c b/scst/src/scst_sysfs.c
index 33710e4b5..65a1aa9f6 100644
--- a/scst/src/scst_sysfs.c
+++ b/scst/src/scst_sysfs.c
@@ -4152,7 +4152,8 @@ static ssize_t scst_tgt_dev_active_commands_show(struct kobject *kobj,
 
 	tgt_dev = container_of(kobj, struct scst_tgt_dev, tgt_dev_kobj);
 
-	pos = sprintf(buf, "%d\n", atomic_read(&tgt_dev->tgt_dev_cmd_count));
+	pos = sprintf(buf, "%d\n",
+		      atomic_read(&tgt_dev->tgt_dev_cmd_count) - 1);
 
 	return pos;
 }
@@ -4486,6 +4487,7 @@ static int scst_sysfs_sess_get_active_commands(struct scst_session *sess)
 		list_for_each_entry_rcu(tgt_dev, head,
 					sess_tgt_dev_list_entry) {
 			active_cmds += atomic_read(&tgt_dev->tgt_dev_cmd_count);
+			active_cmds--;
 		}
 	}
 	rcu_read_unlock();