diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_transport.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_transport.c
index 6fcefd151..3bc6f9694 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_transport.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_transport.c
@@ -350,7 +350,7 @@ nvme_transport_ctrlr_delete_io_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, struct spdk_
 }
 
 static void
-nvme_transport_connect_qpair_fail(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
+nvme_transport_connect_qpair_fail(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair, void *unused)
 {
 	struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr = qpair->ctrlr;
 
@@ -380,16 +380,6 @@ nvme_transport_ctrlr_connect_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, struct spdk_nv
 		goto err;
 	}
 
-	if (!qpair->async) {
-		/* Busy wait until the qpair exits the connecting state */
-		while (nvme_qpair_get_state(qpair) == NVME_QPAIR_CONNECTING) {
-			rc = spdk_nvme_qpair_process_completions(qpair, 0);
-			if (rc < 0) {
-				goto err;
-			}
-		}
-	}
-
 	if (qpair->poll_group) {
 		rc = nvme_poll_group_connect_qpair(qpair);
 		if (rc) {
@@ -397,9 +387,26 @@ nvme_transport_ctrlr_connect_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, struct spdk_nv
 		}
 	}
 
+	if (!qpair->async) {
+		/* Busy wait until the qpair exits the connecting state */
+		while (nvme_qpair_get_state(qpair) == NVME_QPAIR_CONNECTING) {
+			if (qpair->poll_group) {
+				rc = spdk_nvme_poll_group_process_completions(
+					     qpair->poll_group->group, 0,
+					     nvme_transport_connect_qpair_fail);
+			} else {
+				rc = spdk_nvme_qpair_process_completions(qpair, 0);
+			}
+
+			if (rc < 0) {
+				goto err;
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	return 0;
 err:
-	nvme_transport_connect_qpair_fail(qpair);
+	nvme_transport_connect_qpair_fail(qpair, NULL);
 	return rc;
 }
 
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_transport.c/nvme_transport_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_transport.c/nvme_transport_ut.c
index 5c947b5ca..ae93a9d31 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_transport.c/nvme_transport_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_transport.c/nvme_transport_ut.c
@@ -46,6 +46,9 @@ DEFINE_STUB(spdk_nvme_transport_id_trtype_str, const char *,
 	    (enum spdk_nvme_transport_type trtype), NULL);
 DEFINE_STUB(spdk_nvme_qpair_process_completions, int32_t, (struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair,
 		uint32_t max_completions), 0);
+DEFINE_STUB(spdk_nvme_poll_group_process_completions, int64_t, (struct spdk_nvme_poll_group *group,
+		uint32_t completions_per_qpair,
+		spdk_nvme_disconnected_qpair_cb disconnected_qpair_cb), 0);
 
 static void
 ut_construct_transport(struct spdk_nvme_transport *transport, const char name[])