diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
index 0836d08f8..a4ce05f68 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
@@ -292,6 +292,7 @@ spdk_nvme_ctrlr_alloc_io_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr,
 			       size_t opts_size)
 {
 	uint32_t				qid;
+	int					rc;
 	struct spdk_nvme_qpair			*qpair;
 	union spdk_nvme_cc_register		cc;
 	struct spdk_nvme_io_qpair_opts		opts;
@@ -366,6 +367,15 @@ spdk_nvme_ctrlr_alloc_io_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr,
 		nvme_robust_mutex_unlock(&ctrlr->ctrlr_lock);
 		return NULL;
 	}
+
+	rc = nvme_transport_ctrlr_connect_qpair(ctrlr, qpair);
+	if (rc != 0) {
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("nvme_transport_ctrlr_connect_io_qpair() failed\n");
+		nvme_transport_ctrlr_disconnect_qpair(ctrlr, qpair);
+		nvme_transport_ctrlr_delete_io_qpair(ctrlr, qpair);
+		nvme_robust_mutex_unlock(&ctrlr->ctrlr_lock);
+		return NULL;
+	}
 	spdk_bit_array_clear(ctrlr->free_io_qids, qid);
 	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&ctrlr->active_io_qpairs, qpair, tailq);
 
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie.c
index 6ce467ab6..38cd98efa 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie.c
@@ -1671,14 +1671,6 @@ nvme_pcie_ctrlr_create_io_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, uint16_t qid,
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	rc = nvme_transport_ctrlr_connect_qpair(ctrlr, qpair);
-
-	if (rc != 0) {
-		SPDK_ERRLOG("I/O queue creation failed\n");
-		nvme_pcie_qpair_destroy(qpair);
-		return NULL;
-	}
-
 	return qpair;
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c
index f44ac33f6..890553701 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c
@@ -1642,13 +1642,6 @@ nvme_rdma_ctrlr_create_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr,
 	}
 	SPDK_DEBUGLOG(SPDK_LOG_NVME, "RDMA responses allocated\n");
 
-	rc = nvme_transport_ctrlr_connect_qpair(ctrlr, qpair);
-
-	if (rc < 0) {
-		nvme_rdma_ctrlr_delete_io_qpair(ctrlr, qpair);
-		return NULL;
-	}
-
 	return qpair;
 }
 
@@ -1837,6 +1830,13 @@ static struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *nvme_rdma_ctrlr_construct(const struct spdk_nvme_
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
+	rc = nvme_transport_ctrlr_connect_qpair(&rctrlr->ctrlr, rctrlr->ctrlr.adminq);
+	if (rc < 0) {
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("failed to connect admin qpair\n");
+		nvme_rdma_ctrlr_destruct(&rctrlr->ctrlr);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
 	if (nvme_ctrlr_get_cap(&rctrlr->ctrlr, &cap)) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("get_cap() failed\n");
 		nvme_ctrlr_destruct(&rctrlr->ctrlr);
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_tcp.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_tcp.c
index 3130255f3..3202da2cb 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_tcp.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_tcp.c
@@ -1572,12 +1572,6 @@ nvme_tcp_ctrlr_create_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr,
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	rc = nvme_transport_ctrlr_connect_qpair(ctrlr, qpair);
-	if (rc < 0) {
-		nvme_tcp_ctrlr_delete_io_qpair(ctrlr, qpair);
-		return NULL;
-	}
-
 	return qpair;
 }
 
@@ -1622,6 +1616,13 @@ static struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *nvme_tcp_ctrlr_construct(const struct spdk_nvme_t
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
+	rc = nvme_transport_ctrlr_connect_qpair(&tctrlr->ctrlr, tctrlr->ctrlr.adminq);
+	if (rc < 0) {
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("failed to connect admin qpair\n");
+		nvme_tcp_ctrlr_destruct(&tctrlr->ctrlr);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
 	if (nvme_ctrlr_get_cap(&tctrlr->ctrlr, &cap)) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("get_cap() failed\n");
 		nvme_ctrlr_destruct(&tctrlr->ctrlr);