diff --git a/lib/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c b/lib/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
index 20bf2db36..a9bb41b35 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 #include "spdk/nvme.h"
 #include "spdk/io_channel.h"
 #include "spdk/string.h"
+#include "spdk/likely.h"
 
 #include "spdk_internal/bdev.h"
 #include "spdk_internal/log.h"
@@ -345,7 +346,7 @@ bdev_nvme_get_buf_cb(struct spdk_io_channel *ch, struct spdk_bdev_io *bdev_io)
 			      bdev_io->u.bdev.num_blocks,
 			      bdev_io->u.bdev.offset_blocks);
 
-	if (ret < 0) {
+	if (ret != 0) {
 		spdk_bdev_io_complete(bdev_io, SPDK_BDEV_IO_STATUS_FAILED);
 	}
 }
@@ -422,7 +423,9 @@ _bdev_nvme_submit_request(struct spdk_io_channel *ch, struct spdk_bdev_io *bdev_
 static void
 bdev_nvme_submit_request(struct spdk_io_channel *ch, struct spdk_bdev_io *bdev_io)
 {
-	if (_bdev_nvme_submit_request(ch, bdev_io) < 0) {
+	int rc = _bdev_nvme_submit_request(ch, bdev_io);
+
+	if (spdk_unlikely(rc != 0)) {
 		spdk_bdev_io_complete(bdev_io, SPDK_BDEV_IO_STATUS_FAILED);
 	}
 }