diff --git a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
index 802b0830e..f6395c14d 100644
--- a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
+++ b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
@@ -515,10 +515,8 @@ nvme_ctrlr_unregister_cb(void *io_device)
 }
 
 static void
-nvme_ctrlr_unregister(void *ctx)
+nvme_ctrlr_unregister(struct nvme_ctrlr *nvme_ctrlr)
 {
-	struct nvme_ctrlr *nvme_ctrlr = ctx;
-
 	spdk_io_device_unregister(nvme_ctrlr, nvme_ctrlr_unregister_cb);
 }
 
@@ -1217,6 +1215,8 @@ _bdev_nvme_reset_complete(struct spdk_io_channel_iter *i, int status)
 	void *reset_cb_arg = nvme_ctrlr->reset_cb_arg;
 	bool complete_pending_destruct = false;
 
+	assert(nvme_ctrlr->thread == spdk_get_thread());
+
 	nvme_ctrlr->reset_cb_fn = NULL;
 	nvme_ctrlr->reset_cb_arg = NULL;
 
@@ -1249,8 +1249,7 @@ _bdev_nvme_reset_complete(struct spdk_io_channel_iter *i, int status)
 	}
 
 	if (complete_pending_destruct) {
-		spdk_thread_send_msg(nvme_ctrlr->thread, nvme_ctrlr_unregister,
-				     nvme_ctrlr);
+		nvme_ctrlr_unregister(nvme_ctrlr);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -1343,6 +1342,23 @@ bdev_nvme_reset_destroy_qpair(struct spdk_io_channel_iter *i)
 	spdk_for_each_channel_continue(i, 0);
 }
 
+static void
+_bdev_nvme_reset(void *ctx)
+{
+	struct nvme_ctrlr *nvme_ctrlr = ctx;
+
+	assert(nvme_ctrlr->resetting == true);
+	assert(nvme_ctrlr->thread == spdk_get_thread());
+
+	spdk_nvme_ctrlr_prepare_for_reset(nvme_ctrlr->ctrlr);
+
+	/* First, delete all NVMe I/O queue pairs. */
+	spdk_for_each_channel(nvme_ctrlr,
+			      bdev_nvme_reset_destroy_qpair,
+			      NULL,
+			      bdev_nvme_reset_ctrlr);
+}
+
 static int
 bdev_nvme_reset(struct nvme_ctrlr *nvme_ctrlr)
 {
@@ -1360,14 +1376,8 @@ bdev_nvme_reset(struct nvme_ctrlr *nvme_ctrlr)
 
 	nvme_ctrlr->resetting = true;
 	pthread_mutex_unlock(&nvme_ctrlr->mutex);
-	spdk_nvme_ctrlr_prepare_for_reset(nvme_ctrlr->ctrlr);
-
-	/* First, delete all NVMe I/O queue pairs. */
-	spdk_for_each_channel(nvme_ctrlr,
-			      bdev_nvme_reset_destroy_qpair,
-			      NULL,
-			      bdev_nvme_reset_ctrlr);
 
+	spdk_thread_send_msg(nvme_ctrlr->thread, _bdev_nvme_reset, nvme_ctrlr);
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -1563,11 +1573,7 @@ bdev_nvme_failover(struct nvme_ctrlr *nvme_ctrlr, bool remove)
 
 	rc = bdev_nvme_failover_start(nvme_ctrlr, remove);
 	if (rc == 0) {
-		/* First, delete all NVMe I/O queue pairs. */
-		spdk_for_each_channel(nvme_ctrlr,
-				      bdev_nvme_reset_destroy_qpair,
-				      NULL,
-				      bdev_nvme_reset_ctrlr);
+		spdk_thread_send_msg(nvme_ctrlr->thread, _bdev_nvme_reset, nvme_ctrlr);
 	} else if (rc != -EALREADY) {
 		return rc;
 	}
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c/bdev_nvme_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c/bdev_nvme_ut.c
index b4e6c3a39..c049193e0 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c/bdev_nvme_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c/bdev_nvme_ut.c
@@ -1290,7 +1290,7 @@ test_reset_ctrlr(void)
 	CU_ASSERT(ctrlr_ch1->qpair != NULL);
 	CU_ASSERT(ctrlr_ch2->qpair != NULL);
 
-	poll_thread_times(0, 1);
+	poll_thread_times(0, 3);
 	CU_ASSERT(ctrlr_ch1->qpair == NULL);
 	CU_ASSERT(ctrlr_ch2->qpair != NULL);
 
@@ -1299,7 +1299,7 @@ test_reset_ctrlr(void)
 	CU_ASSERT(ctrlr_ch2->qpair == NULL);
 	CU_ASSERT(ctrlr.is_failed == true);
 
-	poll_thread_times(1, 1);
+	poll_thread_times(0, 1);
 	CU_ASSERT(ctrlr.is_failed == false);
 
 	poll_thread_times(0, 1);
@@ -1312,13 +1312,11 @@ test_reset_ctrlr(void)
 	CU_ASSERT(nvme_ctrlr->resetting == true);
 	CU_ASSERT(curr_trid->is_failed == true);
 
+	poll_thread_times(0, 2);
+	CU_ASSERT(nvme_ctrlr->resetting == true);
 	poll_thread_times(1, 1);
 	CU_ASSERT(nvme_ctrlr->resetting == true);
 	poll_thread_times(0, 1);
-	CU_ASSERT(nvme_ctrlr->resetting == true);
-	poll_thread_times(1, 1);
-	CU_ASSERT(nvme_ctrlr->resetting == true);
-	poll_thread_times(1, 1);
 	CU_ASSERT(nvme_ctrlr->resetting == false);
 	CU_ASSERT(curr_trid->is_failed == false);
 
@@ -2829,13 +2827,13 @@ test_reconnect_qpair(void)
 	CU_ASSERT(ctrlr_ch2->qpair == NULL);
 	CU_ASSERT(nvme_ctrlr->resetting == true);
 
-	poll_thread_times(0, 1);
+	poll_thread_times(0, 2);
 	poll_thread_times(1, 1);
 	CU_ASSERT(ctrlr_ch1->qpair == NULL);
 	CU_ASSERT(ctrlr_ch2->qpair == NULL);
 	CU_ASSERT(ctrlr->is_failed == true);
 
-	poll_thread_times(1, 1);
+	poll_thread_times(0, 1);
 	CU_ASSERT(ctrlr->is_failed == false);
 
 	poll_thread_times(0, 1);
@@ -2844,10 +2842,9 @@ test_reconnect_qpair(void)
 	CU_ASSERT(ctrlr_ch2->qpair != NULL);
 	CU_ASSERT(nvme_ctrlr->resetting == true);
 
+	poll_thread_times(0, 2);
 	poll_thread_times(1, 1);
 	poll_thread_times(0, 1);
-	poll_thread_times(1, 1);
-	poll_thread_times(1, 1);
 	CU_ASSERT(nvme_ctrlr->resetting == false);
 
 	poll_threads();
@@ -2864,16 +2861,15 @@ test_reconnect_qpair(void)
 	CU_ASSERT(ctrlr_ch2->qpair == NULL);
 	CU_ASSERT(nvme_ctrlr->resetting == true);
 
-	poll_thread_times(0, 1);
+	poll_thread_times(0, 2);
 	poll_thread_times(1, 1);
 	CU_ASSERT(ctrlr_ch1->qpair == NULL);
 	CU_ASSERT(ctrlr_ch2->qpair == NULL);
 	CU_ASSERT(ctrlr->is_failed == true);
 
+	poll_thread_times(0, 2);
 	poll_thread_times(1, 1);
 	poll_thread_times(0, 1);
-	poll_thread_times(1, 1);
-	poll_thread_times(1, 1);
 	CU_ASSERT(ctrlr->is_failed == true);
 	CU_ASSERT(nvme_ctrlr->resetting == false);
 	CU_ASSERT(ctrlr_ch1->qpair == NULL);
@@ -3654,7 +3650,7 @@ test_reset_bdev_ctrlr(void)
 	CU_ASSERT(nvme_ctrlr1->resetting == true);
 	CU_ASSERT(nvme_ctrlr1->reset_cb_arg == first_bio);
 
-	poll_thread_times(0, 1);
+	poll_thread_times(0, 2);
 	CU_ASSERT(io_path11->ctrlr_ch->qpair == NULL);
 	CU_ASSERT(io_path21->ctrlr_ch->qpair != NULL);
 
@@ -3686,7 +3682,7 @@ test_reset_bdev_ctrlr(void)
 	CU_ASSERT(first_bio->io_path == io_path12);
 	CU_ASSERT(nvme_ctrlr2->resetting == true);
 
-	poll_thread_times(0, 1);
+	poll_thread_times(0, 2);
 	CU_ASSERT(io_path12->ctrlr_ch->qpair == NULL);
 	CU_ASSERT(io_path22->ctrlr_ch->qpair != NULL);
 
@@ -3927,7 +3923,7 @@ test_retry_io_if_ctrlr_is_resetting(void)
 	ctrlr_ch->qpair->is_connected = false;
 	ctrlr->is_failed = true;
 
-	poll_thread_times(0, 3);
+	poll_thread_times(0, 4);
 
 	CU_ASSERT(ctrlr_ch->qpair == NULL);
 	CU_ASSERT(nvme_ctrlr->resetting == true);