diff --git a/include/spdk/nvme.h b/include/spdk/nvme.h
index 99faf785b..a7433b1ca 100644
--- a/include/spdk/nvme.h
+++ b/include/spdk/nvme.h
@@ -235,6 +235,21 @@ bool spdk_nvme_ctrlr_is_discovery(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr);
 void spdk_nvme_ctrlr_get_default_ctrlr_opts(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr_opts *opts,
 		size_t opts_size);
 
+/**
+ * Reason for qpair disconnect at the transport layer.
+ *
+ * NONE implies that the qpair is still connected while UNKNOWN means that the
+ * qpair is disconnected, but the cause was not apparent.
+ */
+enum spdk_nvme_qp_failure_reason {
+	SPDK_NVME_QPAIR_FAILURE_NONE = 0,
+	SPDK_NVME_QPAIR_FAILURE_LOCAL,
+	SPDK_NVME_QPAIR_FAILURE_REMOTE,
+	SPDK_NVME_QPAIR_FAILURE_UNKNOWN,
+};
+
+typedef enum spdk_nvme_qp_failure_reason spdk_nvme_qp_failure_reason;
+
 /**
  * NVMe library transports
  *
@@ -1106,6 +1121,16 @@ struct spdk_nvme_qpair *spdk_nvme_ctrlr_alloc_io_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *c
  */
 int spdk_nvme_ctrlr_reconnect_io_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair);
 
+/**
+ * Returns the reason the admin qpair for a given controller is disconnected.
+ *
+ * \param ctrlr The controller to check.
+ *
+ * \return a valid spdk_nvme_qp_failure_reason.
+ */
+spdk_nvme_qp_failure_reason spdk_nvme_ctrlr_get_admin_qp_failure_reason(
+	struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr);
+
 /**
  * Free an I/O queue pair that was allocated by spdk_nvme_ctrlr_alloc_io_qpair().
  *
@@ -1252,6 +1277,15 @@ int spdk_nvme_ctrlr_cmd_io_raw_with_md(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr,
 int32_t spdk_nvme_qpair_process_completions(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair,
 		uint32_t max_completions);
 
+/**
+ * Returns the reason the qpair is disconnected.
+ *
+ * \param qpair The qpair to check.
+ *
+ * \return a valid spdk_nvme_qp_failure_reason.
+ */
+spdk_nvme_qp_failure_reason spdk_nvme_qpair_get_failure_reason(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair);
+
 /**
  * Send the given admin command to the NVMe controller.
  *
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
index 4cac0e0dc..69285938a 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
@@ -422,6 +422,7 @@ spdk_nvme_ctrlr_reconnect_io_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
 		rc = -EAGAIN;
 		goto out;
 	}
+	qpair->transport_failure_reason = SPDK_NVME_QPAIR_FAILURE_NONE;
 	nvme_qpair_set_state(qpair, NVME_QPAIR_CONNECTED);
 
 out:
@@ -429,6 +430,12 @@ out:
 	return rc;
 }
 
+spdk_nvme_qp_failure_reason
+spdk_nvme_ctrlr_get_admin_qp_failure_reason(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr)
+{
+	return ctrlr->adminq->transport_failure_reason;
+}
+
 /*
  * This internal function will attempt to take the controller
  * lock before calling disconnect on a controller qpair.
@@ -1076,11 +1083,13 @@ spdk_nvme_ctrlr_reset(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr)
 
 	/* Disable all queues before disabling the controller hardware. */
 	TAILQ_FOREACH(qpair, &ctrlr->active_io_qpairs, tailq) {
+		qpair->transport_failure_reason = SPDK_NVME_QPAIR_FAILURE_LOCAL;
 		nvme_qpair_set_state(qpair, NVME_QPAIR_DISABLED);
 	}
 	nvme_qpair_set_state(ctrlr->adminq, NVME_QPAIR_DISABLED);
 	nvme_qpair_complete_error_reqs(ctrlr->adminq);
 	nvme_transport_qpair_abort_reqs(ctrlr->adminq, 0 /* retry */);
+	ctrlr->adminq->transport_failure_reason = SPDK_NVME_QPAIR_FAILURE_LOCAL;
 	nvme_transport_ctrlr_disconnect_qpair(ctrlr, ctrlr->adminq);
 	if (nvme_transport_ctrlr_connect_qpair(ctrlr, ctrlr->adminq) != 0) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("Controller reinitialization failed.\n");
@@ -1088,6 +1097,7 @@ spdk_nvme_ctrlr_reset(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr)
 		rc = -1;
 		goto out;
 	}
+	ctrlr->adminq->transport_failure_reason = SPDK_NVME_QPAIR_FAILURE_NONE;
 	nvme_qpair_set_state(ctrlr->adminq, NVME_QPAIR_CONNECTED);
 
 	/* Doorbell buffer config is invalid during reset */
@@ -1116,10 +1126,12 @@ spdk_nvme_ctrlr_reset(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr)
 		/* Reinitialize qpairs */
 		TAILQ_FOREACH(qpair, &ctrlr->active_io_qpairs, tailq) {
 			if (nvme_transport_ctrlr_connect_qpair(ctrlr, qpair) != 0) {
+				qpair->transport_failure_reason = SPDK_NVME_QPAIR_FAILURE_LOCAL;
 				nvme_qpair_set_state(qpair, NVME_QPAIR_DISABLED);
 				rc = -1;
 				continue;
 			}
+			qpair->transport_failure_reason = SPDK_NVME_QPAIR_FAILURE_NONE;
 			nvme_qpair_set_state(qpair, NVME_QPAIR_CONNECTED);
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h b/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
index f71510f3a..fbb95f4e2 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
@@ -381,6 +381,8 @@ struct spdk_nvme_qpair {
 	struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr_process	*active_proc;
 
 	void				*req_buf;
+
+	uint8_t				transport_failure_reason: 2;
 };
 
 struct spdk_nvme_ns {
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c
index ff268b11e..552da6561 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c
@@ -506,6 +506,12 @@ spdk_nvme_qpair_process_completions(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair, uint32_t max_
 	return ret;
 }
 
+spdk_nvme_qp_failure_reason
+spdk_nvme_qpair_get_failure_reason(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
+{
+	return qpair->transport_failure_reason;
+}
+
 int
 nvme_qpair_init(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair, uint16_t id,
 		struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr,
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c
index 11b6b4994..b09233161 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c
@@ -287,13 +287,18 @@ nvme_rdma_qpair_process_cm_event(struct nvme_rdma_qpair *rqpair)
 			}
 			break;
 		case RDMA_CM_EVENT_DISCONNECTED:
+			rqpair->qpair.transport_failure_reason = SPDK_NVME_QPAIR_FAILURE_REMOTE;
+			nvme_qpair_set_state(&rqpair->qpair, NVME_QPAIR_DISABLED);
+			break;
 		case RDMA_CM_EVENT_DEVICE_REMOVAL:
+			rqpair->qpair.transport_failure_reason = SPDK_NVME_QPAIR_FAILURE_LOCAL;
 			nvme_qpair_set_state(&rqpair->qpair, NVME_QPAIR_DISABLED);
 			break;
 		case RDMA_CM_EVENT_MULTICAST_JOIN:
 		case RDMA_CM_EVENT_MULTICAST_ERROR:
 			break;
 		case RDMA_CM_EVENT_ADDR_CHANGE:
+			rqpair->qpair.transport_failure_reason = SPDK_NVME_QPAIR_FAILURE_LOCAL;
 			nvme_qpair_set_state(&rqpair->qpair, NVME_QPAIR_DISABLED);
 			break;
 		case RDMA_CM_EVENT_TIMEWAIT_EXIT:
@@ -1060,6 +1065,7 @@ nvme_rdma_qpair_connect(struct nvme_rdma_qpair *rqpair)
 
 	rc = nvme_fabric_qpair_connect(&rqpair->qpair, rqpair->num_entries);
 	if (rc < 0) {
+		rqpair->qpair.transport_failure_reason = SPDK_NVME_QPAIR_FAILURE_UNKNOWN;
 		nvme_qpair_set_state(&rqpair->qpair, NVME_QPAIR_DISABLED);
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("Failed to send an NVMe-oF Fabric CONNECT command\n");
 		return -1;
@@ -1876,7 +1882,7 @@ nvme_rdma_qpair_process_completions(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair,
 {
 	struct nvme_rdma_qpair		*rqpair = nvme_rdma_qpair(qpair);
 	struct ibv_wc			wc[MAX_COMPLETIONS_PER_POLL];
-	int				i, rc, batch_size;
+	int				i, rc = 0, batch_size;
 	uint32_t			reaped;
 	struct ibv_cq			*cq;
 	struct spdk_nvme_rdma_req	*rdma_req;
@@ -1967,6 +1973,12 @@ fail:
 	 * we can call nvme_rdma_qpair_disconnect. For other qpairs we need
 	 * to call the generic function which will take the lock for us.
 	 */
+	if (rc == IBV_WC_RETRY_EXC_ERR) {
+		qpair->transport_failure_reason = SPDK_NVME_QPAIR_FAILURE_REMOTE;
+	} else if (qpair->transport_failure_reason == SPDK_NVME_QPAIR_FAILURE_NONE) {
+		qpair->transport_failure_reason = SPDK_NVME_QPAIR_FAILURE_UNKNOWN;
+	}
+
 	if (nvme_qpair_is_admin_queue(qpair)) {
 		nvme_rdma_qpair_disconnect(qpair);
 	} else {
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_tcp.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_tcp.c
index 207451b96..84d68fd1a 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_tcp.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_tcp.c
@@ -1511,6 +1511,8 @@ fail:
 	 * we can call nvme_tcp_qpair_disconnect. For other qpairs we need
 	 * to call the generic function which will take the lock for us.
 	 */
+	qpair->transport_failure_reason = SPDK_NVME_QPAIR_FAILURE_UNKNOWN;
+
 	if (nvme_qpair_is_admin_queue(qpair)) {
 		nvme_tcp_qpair_disconnect(qpair);
 	} else {