Joe just filed a request with the court, obtained by TMZ, asking to dismiss his 2010 suit against Murray without prejudice -- a lawsuit in which he blamed the doctor for MJ's untimely demise.

In the suit, Joe alleged Murray withheld vital information from the doctors and EMTs who were trying to save Jackson's life the day he died -- specifically, that Murray had administered Propofol.

You'll recall -- Joe had also sued AEG as part of the lawsuit, but those claims were tossed out of court in February because Katherine had made similar claims in her own wrongful death suit. Joe's suit was deemed redundant.

But Joe's still got a hat in the ring -- he is currently a nominal party to Katherine's suit, in which Katherine and the family accuse AEG of breaching its agreement to provide physical care for Michael during his "This Is It" tour.

The lawsuit also alleges AEG was negligent in its hiring of Murray as MJ's physician.

Either way, it's good news for Murray -- because it's one less lawsuit to worry about ... for now.

Murray's lawyers Charles Peckham and Valerie Wass tell TMZ, the doctor didn't pay Joe anything -- and they have no idea why Joe suddenly requested to dismiss his case.