diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c
index 0abb51e7b..cd70d0f9c 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c
@@ -255,6 +255,7 @@ static void
 nvme_rdma_req_put(struct nvme_rdma_qpair *rqpair, struct spdk_nvme_rdma_req *rdma_req)
 {
 	rdma_req->completion_flags = 0;
+	rdma_req->req = NULL;
 	TAILQ_REMOVE(&rqpair->outstanding_reqs, rdma_req, link);
 	TAILQ_INSERT_HEAD(&rqpair->free_reqs, rdma_req, link);
 }
@@ -1499,6 +1500,7 @@ nvme_rdma_req_init(struct nvme_rdma_qpair *rqpair, struct nvme_request *req,
 	struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr = rqpair->qpair.ctrlr;
 	int rc;
 
+	assert(rdma_req->req == NULL);
 	rdma_req->req = req;
 	req->cmd.cid = rdma_req->id;