diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme.c b/lib/nvme/nvme.c
index a141d287b..123dc8a4c 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme.c
@@ -342,16 +342,14 @@ nvme_ctrlr_probe(const struct spdk_nvme_transport_id *trid, void *devhandle,
 	struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr;
 	struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr_opts opts;
 
+	assert(trid != NULL);
+
 	spdk_nvme_ctrlr_get_default_ctrlr_opts(&opts, sizeof(opts));
 
 	if (!probe_cb || probe_cb(cb_ctx, trid, &opts)) {
 		ctrlr = nvme_transport_ctrlr_construct(trid, &opts, devhandle);
 		if (ctrlr == NULL) {
-			if (trid != NULL) {
-				SPDK_ERRLOG("Failed to construct NVMe controller for SSD: %s\n", trid->traddr);
-			} else {
-				SPDK_ERRLOG("Failed to construct NVMe controller\n");
-			}
+			SPDK_ERRLOG("Failed to construct NVMe controller for SSD: %s\n", trid->traddr);
 			return -1;
 		}
 
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme.c/nvme_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme.c/nvme_ut.c
index 27b683b67..bfc7b5057 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme.c/nvme_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme.c/nvme_ut.c
@@ -730,21 +730,21 @@ static void
 test_nvme_ctrlr_probe(void)
 {
 	int rc = 0;
-	const struct spdk_nvme_transport_id *trid = NULL;
+	const struct spdk_nvme_transport_id trid = {};
 	void *devhandle = NULL;
 	void *cb_ctx = NULL;
 	struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *dummy = NULL;
 
 	/* test when probe_cb returns false */
 	MOCK_SET(dummy_probe_cb, bool, false);
-	rc = nvme_ctrlr_probe(trid, devhandle, dummy_probe_cb, cb_ctx);
+	rc = nvme_ctrlr_probe(&trid, devhandle, dummy_probe_cb, cb_ctx);
 	CU_ASSERT(rc == 1);
 
 	/* probe_cb returns true but we can't construct a ctrl */
 	MOCK_SET(dummy_probe_cb, bool, true);
 	MOCK_SET_P(nvme_transport_ctrlr_construct,
 		   struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *, NULL);
-	rc = nvme_ctrlr_probe(trid, devhandle, dummy_probe_cb, cb_ctx);
+	rc = nvme_ctrlr_probe(&trid, devhandle, dummy_probe_cb, cb_ctx);
 	CU_ASSERT(rc == -1);
 
 	/* happy path */
@@ -754,7 +754,7 @@ test_nvme_ctrlr_probe(void)
 	MOCK_SET_P(nvme_transport_ctrlr_construct,
 		   struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *, &ut_nvme_transport_ctrlr_construct);
 	TAILQ_INIT(&g_nvme_init_ctrlrs);
-	rc = nvme_ctrlr_probe(trid, devhandle, dummy_probe_cb, cb_ctx);
+	rc = nvme_ctrlr_probe(&trid, devhandle, dummy_probe_cb, cb_ctx);
 	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
 	dummy = TAILQ_FIRST(&g_nvme_init_ctrlrs);
 	CU_ASSERT(dummy == &ut_nvme_transport_ctrlr_construct);