diff --git a/lib/nvmf/rdma.c b/lib/nvmf/rdma.c
index 5c0247a35..0f5b5d16e 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/rdma.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/rdma.c
@@ -668,9 +668,6 @@ spdk_nvmf_handle_disconnect(spdk_event_t event)
 	struct spdk_nvmf_conn		*conn = spdk_event_get_arg2(event);
 
 	nvmf_disconnect(session, conn);
-	if (session && session->num_connections == 0) {
-		spdk_nvmf_session_destruct(session);
-	}
 }
 
 static int
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/session.c b/lib/nvmf/session.c
index 3ab6c6451..00b2c31e7 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/session.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/session.c
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ spdk_nvmf_session_destruct(struct nvmf_session *session)
 		struct spdk_nvmf_conn *conn = TAILQ_FIRST(&session->connections);
 
 		TAILQ_REMOVE(&session->connections, conn, link);
-		nvmf_disconnect(conn->sess, conn);
+		session->num_connections--;
 		conn->transport->conn_fini(conn);
 	}
 
@@ -313,6 +313,11 @@ nvmf_disconnect(struct nvmf_session *session,
 {
 	session->num_connections--;
 	TAILQ_REMOVE(&session->connections, conn, link);
+	conn->transport->conn_fini(conn);
+
+	if (session->num_connections == 0) {
+		spdk_nvmf_session_destruct(session);
+	}
 }
 
 static uint64_t