diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
index f3459e3f1..dd4601a1c 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
@@ -626,12 +626,12 @@ spdk_nvme_ctrlr_free_io_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
 		return 0;
 	}
 
+	nvme_transport_ctrlr_disconnect_qpair(ctrlr, qpair);
+
 	if (qpair->poll_group) {
 		spdk_nvme_poll_group_remove(qpair->poll_group->group, qpair);
 	}
 
-	nvme_transport_ctrlr_disconnect_qpair(ctrlr, qpair);
-
 	/* Do not retry. */
 	nvme_qpair_set_state(qpair, NVME_QPAIR_DESTROYING);
 
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c/nvme_ctrlr_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c/nvme_ctrlr_ut.c
index 092b38d2e..56662614d 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c/nvme_ctrlr_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c/nvme_ctrlr_ut.c
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
  *
  *   Copyright (c) Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.
  *   Copyright (c) 2020, 2021 Mellanox Technologies LTD. All rights reserved.
- *   Copyright (c) 2021 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
+ *   Copyright (c) 2021, 2022 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
  *
  *   Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
  *   modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions