diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie.c
index 846dd6cad..ef00f804a 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie.c
@@ -1760,6 +1760,9 @@ nvme_pcie_ctrlr_disconnect_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, struct spdk_nvme
 {
 }
 
+static int32_t nvme_pcie_qpair_process_completions(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair,
+		uint32_t max_completions);
+
 static int
 nvme_pcie_ctrlr_delete_io_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
 {
@@ -1792,6 +1795,11 @@ nvme_pcie_ctrlr_delete_io_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, struct spdk_nvme_
 		return -1;
 	}
 
+	/* Now that the submission queue is deleted, the device is supposed to have
+	 * completed any outstanding I/O. Try to complete them. If they don't complete,
+	 * they'll be marked as aborted and completed below. */
+	nvme_pcie_qpair_process_completions(qpair, 0);
+
 	memset(status, 0, sizeof(*status));
 	/* Delete the completion queue */
 	rc = nvme_pcie_ctrlr_cmd_delete_io_cq(ctrlr, qpair, nvme_completion_poll_cb, status);