diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/ulp/srpt/ib_srpt.c b/drivers/infiniband/ulp/srpt/ib_srpt.c
index c12005eab14c19..58f70cfec45a72 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/ulp/srpt/ib_srpt.c
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/ulp/srpt/ib_srpt.c
@@ -3867,6 +3867,9 @@ static const struct target_core_fabric_ops srpt_template = {
 	.tfc_discovery_attrs		= srpt_da_attrs,
 	.tfc_wwn_attrs			= srpt_wwn_attrs,
 	.tfc_tpg_attrib_attrs		= srpt_tpg_attrib_attrs,
+
+	.default_submit_type		= TARGET_DIRECT_SUBMIT,
+	.direct_submit_supp		= 1,
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/drivers/scsi/elx/efct/efct_lio.c b/drivers/scsi/elx/efct/efct_lio.c
index a982b9cf987017..6a6ec32c46bdf3 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/elx/efct/efct_lio.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/elx/efct/efct_lio.c
@@ -1611,6 +1611,8 @@ static const struct target_core_fabric_ops efct_lio_ops = {
 	.sess_get_initiator_sid		= NULL,
 	.tfc_tpg_base_attrs		= efct_lio_tpg_attrs,
 	.tfc_tpg_attrib_attrs           = efct_lio_tpg_attrib_attrs,
+	.default_submit_type		= TARGET_DIRECT_SUBMIT,
+	.direct_submit_supp		= 1,
 };
 
 static const struct target_core_fabric_ops efct_lio_npiv_ops = {
@@ -1646,6 +1648,9 @@ static const struct target_core_fabric_ops efct_lio_npiv_ops = {
 	.sess_get_initiator_sid		= NULL,
 	.tfc_tpg_base_attrs		= efct_lio_npiv_tpg_attrs,
 	.tfc_tpg_attrib_attrs		= efct_lio_npiv_tpg_attrib_attrs,
+
+	.default_submit_type		= TARGET_DIRECT_SUBMIT,
+	.direct_submit_supp		= 1,
 };
 
 int efct_scsi_tgt_driver_init(void)
diff --git a/drivers/scsi/ibmvscsi_tgt/ibmvscsi_tgt.c b/drivers/scsi/ibmvscsi_tgt/ibmvscsi_tgt.c
index 385f812b8793c2..4dc411a5810701 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/ibmvscsi_tgt/ibmvscsi_tgt.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/ibmvscsi_tgt/ibmvscsi_tgt.c
@@ -3975,6 +3975,9 @@ static const struct target_core_fabric_ops ibmvscsis_ops = {
 	.fabric_drop_tpg		= ibmvscsis_drop_tpg,
 
 	.tfc_wwn_attrs			= ibmvscsis_wwn_attrs,
+
+	.default_submit_type		= TARGET_DIRECT_SUBMIT,
+	.direct_submit_supp		= 1,
 };
 
 static void ibmvscsis_dev_release(struct device *dev) {};
diff --git a/drivers/scsi/qla2xxx/tcm_qla2xxx.c b/drivers/scsi/qla2xxx/tcm_qla2xxx.c
index 3b5ba4b47b3b27..796cea463cfdff 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/qla2xxx/tcm_qla2xxx.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/qla2xxx/tcm_qla2xxx.c
@@ -1822,6 +1822,9 @@ static const struct target_core_fabric_ops tcm_qla2xxx_ops = {
 	.tfc_wwn_attrs			= tcm_qla2xxx_wwn_attrs,
 	.tfc_tpg_base_attrs		= tcm_qla2xxx_tpg_attrs,
 	.tfc_tpg_attrib_attrs		= tcm_qla2xxx_tpg_attrib_attrs,
+
+	.default_submit_type		= TARGET_DIRECT_SUBMIT,
+	.direct_submit_supp		= 1,
 };
 
 static const struct target_core_fabric_ops tcm_qla2xxx_npiv_ops = {
@@ -1859,6 +1862,9 @@ static const struct target_core_fabric_ops tcm_qla2xxx_npiv_ops = {
 	.fabric_init_nodeacl		= tcm_qla2xxx_init_nodeacl,
 
 	.tfc_wwn_attrs			= tcm_qla2xxx_wwn_attrs,
+
+	.default_submit_type		= TARGET_DIRECT_SUBMIT,
+	.direct_submit_supp		= 1,
 };
 
 static int tcm_qla2xxx_register_configfs(void)
diff --git a/drivers/target/iscsi/iscsi_target_configfs.c b/drivers/target/iscsi/iscsi_target_configfs.c
index bf190dcb9eee20..88db94f382bb92 100644
--- a/drivers/target/iscsi/iscsi_target_configfs.c
+++ b/drivers/target/iscsi/iscsi_target_configfs.c
@@ -1590,4 +1590,7 @@ const struct target_core_fabric_ops iscsi_ops = {
 	.tfc_tpg_nacl_param_attrs	= lio_target_nacl_param_attrs,
 
 	.write_pending_must_be_called	= 1,
+
+	.default_submit_type		= TARGET_DIRECT_SUBMIT,
+	.direct_submit_supp		= 1,
 };
diff --git a/drivers/target/loopback/tcm_loop.c b/drivers/target/loopback/tcm_loop.c
index 4ec99a55ac305a..fbacccdd2ff685 100644
--- a/drivers/target/loopback/tcm_loop.c
+++ b/drivers/target/loopback/tcm_loop.c
@@ -1102,6 +1102,8 @@ static const struct target_core_fabric_ops loop_ops = {
 	.tfc_wwn_attrs			= tcm_loop_wwn_attrs,
 	.tfc_tpg_base_attrs		= tcm_loop_tpg_attrs,
 	.tfc_tpg_attrib_attrs		= tcm_loop_tpg_attrib_attrs,
+	.default_submit_type		= TARGET_QUEUE_SUBMIT,
+	.direct_submit_supp		= 0,
 };
 
 static int __init tcm_loop_fabric_init(void)
diff --git a/drivers/target/sbp/sbp_target.c b/drivers/target/sbp/sbp_target.c
index 2a761bc0919389..b604fcae21e112 100644
--- a/drivers/target/sbp/sbp_target.c
+++ b/drivers/target/sbp/sbp_target.c
@@ -2278,6 +2278,9 @@ static const struct target_core_fabric_ops sbp_ops = {
 	.tfc_wwn_attrs			= sbp_wwn_attrs,
 	.tfc_tpg_base_attrs		= sbp_tpg_base_attrs,
 	.tfc_tpg_attrib_attrs		= sbp_tpg_attrib_attrs,
+
+	.default_submit_type		= TARGET_DIRECT_SUBMIT,
+	.direct_submit_supp		= 1,
 };
 
 static int __init sbp_init(void)
diff --git a/drivers/target/tcm_fc/tfc_conf.c b/drivers/target/tcm_fc/tfc_conf.c
index 6ac3fc1a7d39bb..5ee03d1cba2bee 100644
--- a/drivers/target/tcm_fc/tfc_conf.c
+++ b/drivers/target/tcm_fc/tfc_conf.c
@@ -432,6 +432,9 @@ static const struct target_core_fabric_ops ft_fabric_ops = {
 
 	.tfc_wwn_attrs			= ft_wwn_attrs,
 	.tfc_tpg_nacl_base_attrs	= ft_nacl_base_attrs,
+
+	.default_submit_type		= TARGET_DIRECT_SUBMIT,
+	.direct_submit_supp		= 1,
 };
 
 static struct notifier_block ft_notifier = {
diff --git a/drivers/usb/gadget/function/f_tcm.c b/drivers/usb/gadget/function/f_tcm.c
index 79ed2e6e576aab..ff33f31bcdf645 100644
--- a/drivers/usb/gadget/function/f_tcm.c
+++ b/drivers/usb/gadget/function/f_tcm.c
@@ -1687,6 +1687,9 @@ static const struct target_core_fabric_ops usbg_ops = {
 
 	.tfc_wwn_attrs			= usbg_wwn_attrs,
 	.tfc_tpg_base_attrs		= usbg_base_attrs,
+
+	.default_submit_type		= TARGET_DIRECT_SUBMIT,
+	.direct_submit_supp		= 1,
 };
 
 /* Start gadget.c code */
diff --git a/drivers/vhost/scsi.c b/drivers/vhost/scsi.c
index abef0619c7901a..dc274463bdf027 100644
--- a/drivers/vhost/scsi.c
+++ b/drivers/vhost/scsi.c
@@ -2598,6 +2598,9 @@ static const struct target_core_fabric_ops vhost_scsi_ops = {
 	.tfc_wwn_attrs			= vhost_scsi_wwn_attrs,
 	.tfc_tpg_base_attrs		= vhost_scsi_tpg_attrs,
 	.tfc_tpg_attrib_attrs		= vhost_scsi_tpg_attrib_attrs,
+
+	.default_submit_type		= TARGET_QUEUE_SUBMIT,
+	.direct_submit_supp		= 1,
 };
 
 static int __init vhost_scsi_init(void)
diff --git a/drivers/xen/xen-scsiback.c b/drivers/xen/xen-scsiback.c
index 8b77e4c06e43f8..0c51edfd13dcdf 100644
--- a/drivers/xen/xen-scsiback.c
+++ b/drivers/xen/xen-scsiback.c
@@ -1832,6 +1832,9 @@ static const struct target_core_fabric_ops scsiback_ops = {
 	.tfc_wwn_attrs			= scsiback_wwn_attrs,
 	.tfc_tpg_base_attrs		= scsiback_tpg_attrs,
 	.tfc_tpg_param_attrs		= scsiback_param_attrs,
+
+	.default_submit_type		= TARGET_DIRECT_SUBMIT,
+	.direct_submit_supp		= 1,
 };
 
 static const struct xenbus_device_id scsiback_ids[] = {
diff --git a/include/target/target_core_base.h b/include/target/target_core_base.h
index 159567359bbb0f..401abdf8a9ef5b 100644
--- a/include/target/target_core_base.h
+++ b/include/target/target_core_base.h
@@ -108,6 +108,15 @@
 #define SE_MODE_PAGE_BUF			512
 #define SE_SENSE_BUF				96
 
+enum target_submit_type {
+	/* Use the fabric driver's default submission type */
+	TARGET_FABRIC_DEFAULT_SUBMIT,
+	/* Submit from the calling context */
+	TARGET_DIRECT_SUBMIT,
+	/* Defer submission to the LIO workqueue */
+	TARGET_QUEUE_SUBMIT,
+};
+
 /* struct se_hba->hba_flags */
 enum hba_flags_table {
 	HBA_FLAGS_INTERNAL_USE	= 0x01,
diff --git a/include/target/target_core_fabric.h b/include/target/target_core_fabric.h
index 2a6c4c935666aa..dcd7d76d2f3010 100644
--- a/include/target/target_core_fabric.h
+++ b/include/target/target_core_fabric.h
@@ -118,6 +118,15 @@ struct target_core_fabric_ops {
 	 * its entirety before a command is aborted.
 	 */
 	unsigned int write_pending_must_be_called:1;
+	/*
+	 * Set this if the driver supports submitting commands to the backend
+	 * from target_submit/target_submit_cmd.
+	 */
+	unsigned int direct_submit_supp:1;
+	/*
+	 * Set this to a target_submit_type value.
+	 */
+	u8 default_submit_type;
 };
 
 int target_register_template(const struct target_core_fabric_ops *fo);