diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme.c b/lib/nvme/nvme.c
index fdae2f18a..c5b8ef0af 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme.c
@@ -536,6 +536,11 @@ spdk_nvme_probe_internal(const struct spdk_nvme_transport_id *trid, void *cb_ctx
 				continue;
 			}
 
+			/* Do not attach if we failed to initialize it in this process */
+			if (spdk_nvme_ctrlr_get_current_process(ctrlr) == NULL) {
+				continue;
+			}
+
 			nvme_ctrlr_proc_get_ref(ctrlr);
 
 			/*
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme.c/nvme_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme.c/nvme_ut.c
index 6925a2cfd..b8cd6c14e 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme.c/nvme_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme.c/nvme_ut.c
@@ -59,6 +59,10 @@ DEFINE_STUB(spdk_pci_device_get_id, struct spdk_pci_id,
 DEFINE_STUB(spdk_nvme_transport_available, bool,
 	    (enum spdk_nvme_transport_type trtype), true)
 
+/* return anything non-NULL, this won't be deferenced anywhere in this test */
+DEFINE_STUB(spdk_nvme_ctrlr_get_current_process, struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr_process *,
+	    (struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr), (struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr_process *)(uintptr_t)0x1)
+
 DEFINE_STUB(nvme_ctrlr_add_process, int,
 	    (struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, void *devhandle), 0)
 
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_ns_cmd.c/nvme_ns_cmd_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_ns_cmd.c/nvme_ns_cmd_ut.c
index f17ffa355..3ccea8ee5 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_ns_cmd.c/nvme_ns_cmd_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_ns_cmd.c/nvme_ns_cmd_ut.c
@@ -91,6 +91,9 @@ nvme_ctrlr_destruct(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr)
 {
 }
 
+DEFINE_STUB(spdk_nvme_ctrlr_get_current_process, struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr_process *,
+	    (struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr), NULL)
+
 int
 nvme_ctrlr_add_process(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, void *devhandle)
 {
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_ns_ocssd_cmd.c/nvme_ns_ocssd_cmd_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_ns_ocssd_cmd.c/nvme_ns_ocssd_cmd_ut.c
index 5d1f42b8d..5d9fc6f9c 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_ns_ocssd_cmd.c/nvme_ns_ocssd_cmd_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_ns_ocssd_cmd.c/nvme_ns_ocssd_cmd_ut.c
@@ -68,6 +68,8 @@ nvme_ctrlr_proc_get_ref(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr)
 	return;
 }
 
+DEFINE_STUB(spdk_nvme_ctrlr_get_current_process, struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr_process *,
+	    (struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr), NULL)
 
 int
 nvme_ctrlr_process_init(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr)