diff --git a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
index 73209eb37..2f8d22e50 100644
--- a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
+++ b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
@@ -1312,16 +1312,7 @@ timeout_cb(void *cb_arg, struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr,
 void
 nvme_ctrlr_depopulate_namespace_done(struct nvme_bdev_ns *nvme_ns)
 {
-	pthread_mutex_lock(&g_bdev_nvme_mutex);
-	assert(nvme_ns->ref > 0);
-	nvme_ns->ref--;
-	if (nvme_ns->ref > 0) {
-		pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_bdev_nvme_mutex);
-		return;
-	}
-	pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_bdev_nvme_mutex);
-
-	nvme_bdev_ctrlr_destruct(nvme_ns->ctrlr);
+	nvme_bdev_ns_detach(nvme_ns);
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/module/bdev/nvme/common.c b/module/bdev/nvme/common.c
index 28aef1740..14e5d1424 100644
--- a/module/bdev/nvme/common.c
+++ b/module/bdev/nvme/common.c
@@ -184,6 +184,21 @@ nvme_bdev_ctrlr_destruct(struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr *nvme_bdev_ctrlr)
 	nvme_bdev_ctrlr_do_destruct(nvme_bdev_ctrlr);
 }
 
+void
+nvme_bdev_ns_detach(struct nvme_bdev_ns *nvme_ns)
+{
+	pthread_mutex_lock(&g_bdev_nvme_mutex);
+	assert(nvme_ns->ref > 0);
+	nvme_ns->ref--;
+	if (nvme_ns->ref > 0) {
+		pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_bdev_nvme_mutex);
+		return;
+	}
+	pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_bdev_nvme_mutex);
+
+	nvme_bdev_ctrlr_destruct(nvme_ns->ctrlr);
+}
+
 void
 nvme_bdev_attach_bdev_to_ns(struct nvme_bdev_ns *nvme_ns, struct nvme_bdev *nvme_disk)
 {
@@ -201,14 +216,7 @@ nvme_bdev_detach_bdev_from_ns(struct nvme_bdev *nvme_disk)
 
 	pthread_mutex_lock(&g_bdev_nvme_mutex);
 	TAILQ_REMOVE(&nvme_disk->nvme_ns->bdevs, nvme_disk, tailq);
-
-	assert(nvme_ns->ref > 0);
-	nvme_ns->ref--;
-	if (nvme_ns->ref > 0) {
-		pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_bdev_nvme_mutex);
-		return;
-	}
 	pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_bdev_nvme_mutex);
 
-	nvme_bdev_ctrlr_destruct(nvme_ns->ctrlr);
+	nvme_bdev_ns_detach(nvme_ns);
 }
diff --git a/module/bdev/nvme/common.h b/module/bdev/nvme/common.h
index 83bd30247..6567c212e 100644
--- a/module/bdev/nvme/common.h
+++ b/module/bdev/nvme/common.h
@@ -167,6 +167,7 @@ void nvme_bdev_dump_trid_json(const struct spdk_nvme_transport_id *trid,
 
 void nvme_bdev_ctrlr_destruct(struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr *nvme_bdev_ctrlr);
 void nvme_bdev_ctrlr_do_destruct(void *ctx);
+void nvme_bdev_ns_detach(struct nvme_bdev_ns *nvme_ns);
 void nvme_bdev_attach_bdev_to_ns(struct nvme_bdev_ns *nvme_ns, struct nvme_bdev *nvme_disk);
 void nvme_bdev_detach_bdev_from_ns(struct nvme_bdev *nvme_disk);
 
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/bdev/bdev_ocssd.c/bdev_ocssd_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/bdev/bdev_ocssd.c/bdev_ocssd_ut.c
index 6f76a614c..6b511a5ee 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/bdev/bdev_ocssd.c/bdev_ocssd_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/bdev/bdev_ocssd.c/bdev_ocssd_ut.c
@@ -197,13 +197,7 @@ nvme_ctrlr_populate_namespace_done(struct nvme_async_probe_ctx *ctx,
 void
 nvme_ctrlr_depopulate_namespace_done(struct nvme_bdev_ns *ns)
 {
-	CU_ASSERT(ns->ref > 0);
-	ns->ref--;
-	if (ns->ref > 0) {
-		return;
-	}
-
-	nvme_bdev_ctrlr_destruct(ns->ctrlr);
+	nvme_bdev_ns_detach(ns);
 }
 
 static struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr *