diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
index 5ceb81446..efbe09b2d 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
@@ -611,6 +611,8 @@ spdk_nvme_ctrlr_free_io_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
 		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/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c
index dcefe1337..ba70bc25b 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c
@@ -1853,7 +1853,7 @@ nvme_rdma_ctrlr_delete_io_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, struct spdk_nvme_
 
 	assert(qpair != NULL);
 	rqpair = nvme_rdma_qpair(qpair);
-	nvme_transport_ctrlr_disconnect_qpair(ctrlr, qpair);
+
 	if (rqpair->defer_deletion_to_pg) {
 		nvme_qpair_set_state(qpair, NVME_QPAIR_DESTROYING);
 		return 0;
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_tcp.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_tcp.c
index 962289399..6ddeed41e 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_tcp.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_tcp.c
@@ -350,7 +350,6 @@ nvme_tcp_ctrlr_delete_io_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, struct spdk_nvme_q
 	struct nvme_tcp_qpair *tqpair;
 
 	assert(qpair != NULL);
-	nvme_transport_ctrlr_disconnect_qpair(ctrlr, qpair);
 	nvme_tcp_qpair_abort_reqs(qpair, 1);
 	nvme_qpair_deinit(qpair);
 	tqpair = nvme_tcp_qpair(qpair);