diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_tcp.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_tcp.c
index 266045afb..578731bd6 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_tcp.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_tcp.c
@@ -970,7 +970,7 @@ nvme_tcp_c2h_data_payload_handle(struct nvme_tcp_qpair *tqpair,
 	tcp_req->datao += pdu->data_len;
 	flags = c2h_data->common.flags;
 
-	if (flags & SPDK_NVME_TCP_C2H_DATA_FLAGS_SUCCESS) {
+	if (flags & SPDK_NVME_TCP_C2H_DATA_FLAGS_LAST_PDU) {
 		if (tcp_req->datao == tcp_req->req->payload_size) {
 			tcp_req->rsp.status.p = 0;
 		} else {
@@ -979,10 +979,11 @@ nvme_tcp_c2h_data_payload_handle(struct nvme_tcp_qpair *tqpair,
 
 		tcp_req->rsp.cid = tcp_req->cid;
 		tcp_req->rsp.sqid = tqpair->qpair.id;
-		tcp_req->ordering.bits.data_recv = 1;
-
-		if (nvme_tcp_req_complete_safe(tcp_req)) {
-			(*reaped)++;
+		if (flags & SPDK_NVME_TCP_C2H_DATA_FLAGS_SUCCESS) {
+			tcp_req->ordering.bits.data_recv = 1;
+			if (nvme_tcp_req_complete_safe(tcp_req)) {
+				(*reaped)++;
+			}
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -1292,6 +1293,7 @@ nvme_tcp_c2h_data_hdr_handle(struct nvme_tcp_qpair *tqpair, struct nvme_tcp_pdu
 	struct spdk_nvme_tcp_c2h_data_hdr *c2h_data = &pdu->hdr.c2h_data;
 	uint32_t error_offset = 0;
 	enum spdk_nvme_tcp_term_req_fes fes;
+	int flags = c2h_data->common.flags;
 
 	SPDK_DEBUGLOG(nvme, "enter\n");
 	SPDK_DEBUGLOG(nvme, "c2h_data info on tqpair(%p): datao=%u, datal=%u, cccid=%d\n",
@@ -1308,6 +1310,14 @@ nvme_tcp_c2h_data_hdr_handle(struct nvme_tcp_qpair *tqpair, struct nvme_tcp_pdu
 	SPDK_DEBUGLOG(nvme, "tcp_req(%p) on tqpair(%p): datao=%u, payload_size=%u\n",
 		      tcp_req, tqpair, tcp_req->datao, tcp_req->req->payload_size);
 
+	if (spdk_unlikely((flags & SPDK_NVME_TCP_C2H_DATA_FLAGS_SUCCESS) &&
+			  !(flags & SPDK_NVME_TCP_C2H_DATA_FLAGS_LAST_PDU))) {
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("Invalid flag flags=%d in c2h_data=%p\n", flags, c2h_data);
+		fes = SPDK_NVME_TCP_TERM_REQ_FES_INVALID_HEADER_FIELD;
+		error_offset = offsetof(struct spdk_nvme_tcp_c2h_data_hdr, common);
+		goto end;
+	}
+
 	if (c2h_data->datal > tcp_req->req->payload_size) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("Invalid datal for tcp_req(%p), datal(%u) exceeds payload_size(%u)\n",
 			    tcp_req, c2h_data->datal, tcp_req->req->payload_size);
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_tcp.c/nvme_tcp_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_tcp.c/nvme_tcp_ut.c
index 448d65014..6b9042e54 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_tcp.c/nvme_tcp_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_tcp.c/nvme_tcp_ut.c
@@ -1157,7 +1157,8 @@ test_nvme_tcp_c2h_payload_handle(void)
 	TAILQ_INIT(&tcp_req.tqpair->outstanding_reqs);
 
 	pdu.req = &tcp_req;
-	pdu.hdr.c2h_data.common.flags = SPDK_NVME_TCP_C2H_DATA_FLAGS_SUCCESS;
+	pdu.hdr.c2h_data.common.flags = SPDK_NVME_TCP_C2H_DATA_FLAGS_SUCCESS |
+					SPDK_NVME_TCP_C2H_DATA_FLAGS_LAST_PDU;
 	pdu.data_len = 1024;
 
 	tqpair.qpair.id = 1;
@@ -1303,7 +1304,8 @@ test_nvme_tcp_pdu_payload_handle(void)
 	tqpair.qpair.id = 1;
 	recv_pdu.ddgst_enable = false;
 	recv_pdu.req = &tcp_req;
-	recv_pdu.hdr.c2h_data.common.flags = SPDK_NVME_TCP_C2H_DATA_FLAGS_SUCCESS;
+	recv_pdu.hdr.c2h_data.common.flags = SPDK_NVME_TCP_C2H_DATA_FLAGS_SUCCESS |
+					     SPDK_NVME_TCP_C2H_DATA_FLAGS_LAST_PDU;
 	recv_pdu.data_len = 1024;
 	tcp_req.ordering.bits.data_recv = 0;
 	tcp_req.req->cb_fn = ut_nvme_complete_request;