diff --git a/lib/nvmf/ctrlr.c b/lib/nvmf/ctrlr.c
index 238c63b9c..40c93b8f1 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/ctrlr.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/ctrlr.c
@@ -1948,6 +1948,37 @@ nvmf_ctrlr_mask_aen(struct spdk_nvmf_ctrlr *ctrlr,
 	}
 }
 
+/* we have to use the typedef in the function declaration to appease astyle. */
+typedef enum spdk_nvme_ana_state spdk_nvme_ana_state_t;
+
+static inline spdk_nvme_ana_state_t
+nvmf_ctrlr_get_ana_state(struct spdk_nvmf_ctrlr *ctrlr, uint32_t anagrpid)
+{
+	if (spdk_unlikely(ctrlr->listener == NULL)) {
+		return SPDK_NVME_ANA_INACCESSIBLE_STATE;
+	}
+
+	assert(anagrpid - 1 < ctrlr->subsys->max_nsid);
+	return ctrlr->listener->ana_state[anagrpid - 1];
+}
+
+static spdk_nvme_ana_state_t
+nvmf_ctrlr_get_ana_state_from_nsid(struct spdk_nvmf_ctrlr *ctrlr, uint32_t nsid)
+{
+	struct spdk_nvmf_ns *ns;
+
+	/* We do not have NVM subsystem specific ANA state. Hence if NSID is either
+	 * SPDK_NVMF_GLOBAL_NS_TAG, invalid, or for inactive namespace, return
+	 * the optimized state.
+	 */
+	ns = _nvmf_subsystem_get_ns(ctrlr->subsys, nsid);
+	if (ns == NULL) {
+		return SPDK_NVME_ANA_OPTIMIZED_STATE;
+	}
+
+	return nvmf_ctrlr_get_ana_state(ctrlr, ns->anagrpid);
+}
+
 static void
 nvmf_get_ana_log_page(struct spdk_nvmf_ctrlr *ctrlr, struct iovec *iovs, int iovcnt,
 		      uint64_t offset, uint32_t length, uint32_t rae)
@@ -2003,7 +2034,7 @@ nvmf_get_ana_log_page(struct spdk_nvmf_ctrlr *ctrlr, struct iovec *iovs, int iov
 
 			ana_desc.ana_group_id = anagrpid;
 			ana_desc.num_of_nsid = ctrlr->subsys->ana_group[anagrpid - 1];
-			ana_desc.ana_state = ctrlr->listener->ana_state[anagrpid - 1];
+			ana_desc.ana_state = nvmf_ctrlr_get_ana_state(ctrlr, anagrpid);
 
 			copy_len = spdk_min(sizeof(ana_desc) - offset, length);
 			copied_len = _copy_buf_to_iovs(&copy_ctx, (const char *)&ana_desc + offset,
@@ -2335,7 +2366,7 @@ spdk_nvmf_ctrlr_identify_ns(struct spdk_nvmf_ctrlr *ctrlr,
 		assert(ns->anagrpid - 1 < subsystem->max_nsid);
 		nsdata->anagrpid = ns->anagrpid;
 
-		ana_state = ctrlr->listener->ana_state[ns->anagrpid - 1];
+		ana_state = nvmf_ctrlr_get_ana_state(ctrlr, ns->anagrpid);
 		if (ana_state == SPDK_NVME_ANA_INACCESSIBLE_STATE ||
 		    ana_state == SPDK_NVME_ANA_PERSISTENT_LOSS_STATE) {
 			nsdata->nuse = 0;
@@ -2785,28 +2816,6 @@ _nvme_ana_state_to_path_status(enum spdk_nvme_ana_state ana_state)
 	}
 }
 
-/* we have to use the typedef in the function declaration to appease astyle. */
-typedef enum spdk_nvme_ana_state spdk_nvme_ana_state_t;
-
-static spdk_nvme_ana_state_t
-nvmf_ctrlr_get_ana_state(struct spdk_nvmf_ctrlr *ctrlr, uint32_t nsid)
-{
-	struct spdk_nvmf_ns *ns;
-
-	/* We do not have NVM subsystem specific ANA state. Hence if NSID is either
-	 * SPDK_NVMF_GLOBAL_NS_TAG, invalid, or for inactive namespace, return
-	 * the optimized state.
-	 */
-	ns = _nvmf_subsystem_get_ns(ctrlr->subsys, nsid);
-	if (ns == NULL) {
-		return SPDK_NVME_ANA_OPTIMIZED_STATE;
-	}
-
-	assert(ns->anagrpid - 1 < ctrlr->subsys->max_nsid);
-
-	return ctrlr->listener->ana_state[ns->anagrpid];
-}
-
 static int
 nvmf_ctrlr_get_features(struct spdk_nvmf_request *req)
 {
@@ -2836,7 +2845,7 @@ nvmf_ctrlr_get_features(struct spdk_nvmf_request *req)
 	/*
 	 * Process Get Features command for non-discovery controller
 	 */
-	ana_state = nvmf_ctrlr_get_ana_state(ctrlr, cmd->nsid);
+	ana_state = nvmf_ctrlr_get_ana_state_from_nsid(ctrlr, cmd->nsid);
 	switch (ana_state) {
 	case SPDK_NVME_ANA_INACCESSIBLE_STATE:
 	case SPDK_NVME_ANA_PERSISTENT_LOSS_STATE:
@@ -2932,7 +2941,7 @@ nvmf_ctrlr_set_features(struct spdk_nvmf_request *req)
 	/*
 	 * Process Set Features command for non-discovery controller
 	 */
-	ana_state = nvmf_ctrlr_get_ana_state(ctrlr, cmd->nsid);
+	ana_state = nvmf_ctrlr_get_ana_state_from_nsid(ctrlr, cmd->nsid);
 	switch (ana_state) {
 	case SPDK_NVME_ANA_INACCESSIBLE_STATE:
 	case SPDK_NVME_ANA_CHANGE_STATE:
@@ -3736,9 +3745,7 @@ nvmf_ctrlr_process_io_cmd(struct spdk_nvmf_request *req)
 		return SPDK_NVMF_REQUEST_EXEC_STATUS_COMPLETE;
 	}
 
-	assert(ns->anagrpid - 1 < ctrlr->subsys->max_nsid);
-
-	ana_state = ctrlr->listener->ana_state[ns->anagrpid - 1];
+	ana_state = nvmf_ctrlr_get_ana_state(ctrlr, ns->anagrpid);
 	if (spdk_unlikely(ana_state != SPDK_NVME_ANA_OPTIMIZED_STATE &&
 			  ana_state != SPDK_NVME_ANA_NON_OPTIMIZED_STATE)) {
 		SPDK_DEBUGLOG(nvmf, "Fail I/O command due to ANA state %d\n",
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c b/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c
index 5856081b6..894171e88 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c
@@ -342,6 +342,7 @@ _nvmf_subsystem_remove_listener(struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *subsystem,
 				bool stop)
 {
 	struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport;
+	struct spdk_nvmf_ctrlr *ctrlr;
 
 	if (stop) {
 		transport = spdk_nvmf_tgt_get_transport(subsystem->tgt, listener->trid->trstring);
@@ -350,6 +351,12 @@ _nvmf_subsystem_remove_listener(struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *subsystem,
 		}
 	}
 
+	TAILQ_FOREACH(ctrlr, &subsystem->ctrlrs, link) {
+		if (ctrlr->listener == listener) {
+			ctrlr->listener = NULL;
+		}
+	}
+
 	TAILQ_REMOVE(&subsystem->listeners, listener, link);
 	free(listener->ana_state);
 	free(listener);