diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
index d8c13beaf..264d0c47e 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
@@ -460,6 +460,12 @@ spdk_nvme_ctrlr_alloc_io_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr,
 	struct spdk_nvme_io_qpair_opts	opts;
 	int				rc;
 
+	if (spdk_unlikely(ctrlr->state != NVME_CTRLR_STATE_READY)) {
+		/* When controller is resetting or initializing, free_io_qids is deleted or not created yet.
+		 * We can't create IO qpair in that case */
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
 	/*
 	 * Get the default options, then overwrite them with the user-provided options
 	 * up to opts_size.
@@ -5202,6 +5208,7 @@ spdk_nvme_ctrlr_alloc_qid(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr)
 {
 	uint32_t qid;
 
+	assert(ctrlr->free_io_qids);
 	nvme_robust_mutex_lock(&ctrlr->ctrlr_lock);
 	qid = spdk_bit_array_find_first_set(ctrlr->free_io_qids, 1);
 	if (qid > ctrlr->opts.num_io_queues) {
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c/nvme_ctrlr_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c/nvme_ctrlr_ut.c
index 57a80174e..b7362c63a 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c/nvme_ctrlr_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c/nvme_ctrlr_ut.c
@@ -1503,6 +1503,7 @@ setup_qpairs(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, uint32_t num_io_queues)
 	ctrlr->page_size = 0x1000;
 	ctrlr->opts.num_io_queues = num_io_queues;
 	ctrlr->free_io_qids = spdk_bit_array_create(num_io_queues + 1);
+	ctrlr->state = NVME_CTRLR_STATE_READY;
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(ctrlr->free_io_qids != NULL);
 
 	spdk_bit_array_clear(ctrlr->free_io_qids, 0);
@@ -1566,6 +1567,13 @@ test_alloc_io_qpair_rr_1(void)
 	/* Only 0 ~ 3 qprio is acceptable */
 	opts.qprio = 4;
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(spdk_nvme_ctrlr_alloc_io_qpair(&ctrlr, &opts, sizeof(opts)) == NULL);
+	opts.qprio = 0;
+
+	/* IO qpair can only be created when ctrlr is in READY state */
+	ctrlr.state = NVME_CTRLR_STATE_ENABLE;
+	q0 = spdk_nvme_ctrlr_alloc_io_qpair(&ctrlr, &opts, sizeof(opts));
+	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(q0 == NULL);
+	ctrlr.state = NVME_CTRLR_STATE_READY;
 
 	cleanup_qpairs(&ctrlr);
 }