diff --git a/lib/nvmf/ctrlr.c b/lib/nvmf/ctrlr.c
index ee4fb4459..05d65d6cb 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/ctrlr.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/ctrlr.c
@@ -1729,7 +1729,22 @@ spdk_nvmf_ctrlr_async_event_ns_notice(struct spdk_nvmf_ctrlr *ctrlr)
 }
 
 void
-spdk_nvmf_ctrlr_drain_aer_req(struct spdk_nvmf_ctrlr *ctrlr)
+spdk_nvmf_qpair_free_aer(struct spdk_nvmf_qpair *qpair)
+{
+	struct spdk_nvmf_ctrlr *ctrlr = qpair->ctrlr;
+
+	if (!spdk_nvmf_qpair_is_admin_queue(qpair)) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	if (ctrlr->aer_req != NULL) {
+		spdk_nvmf_request_free(ctrlr->aer_req);
+		ctrlr->aer_req = NULL;
+	}
+}
+
+void
+spdk_nvmf_ctrlr_abort_aer(struct spdk_nvmf_ctrlr *ctrlr)
 {
 	if (!ctrlr->aer_req) {
 		return;
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c b/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
index ece31ddb7..8aa2d3a74 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
@@ -688,6 +688,7 @@ _spdk_nvmf_qpair_deactivate(void *ctx)
 	if (!TAILQ_EMPTY(&qpair->outstanding)) {
 		qpair->state_cb = _spdk_nvmf_qpair_destroy;
 		qpair->state_cb_arg = qpair_ctx;
+		spdk_nvmf_qpair_free_aer(qpair);
 		return;
 	}
 
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/nvmf_internal.h b/lib/nvmf/nvmf_internal.h
index 7a25f2604..1618cec4e 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/nvmf_internal.h
+++ b/lib/nvmf/nvmf_internal.h
@@ -293,7 +293,20 @@ struct spdk_nvmf_ctrlr *spdk_nvmf_subsystem_get_ctrlr(struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem
 		uint16_t cntlid);
 int spdk_nvmf_ctrlr_async_event_ns_notice(struct spdk_nvmf_ctrlr *ctrlr);
 
-void spdk_nvmf_ctrlr_drain_aer_req(struct spdk_nvmf_ctrlr *ctrlr);
+/*
+ * Abort aer is sent on a per controller basis and sends a completion for the aer to the host.
+ * This function should be called when attempting to recover in error paths when it is OK for
+ * the host to send a subsequent AER.
+ */
+void spdk_nvmf_ctrlr_abort_aer(struct spdk_nvmf_ctrlr *ctrlr);
+
+/*
+ * Free aer simply frees the rdma resources for the aer without informing the host.
+ * This function should be called when deleting a qpair when one wants to make sure
+ * the qpair is completely empty before freeing the request. The reason we free the
+ * AER without sending a completion is to prevent the host from sending another AER.
+ */
+void spdk_nvmf_qpair_free_aer(struct spdk_nvmf_qpair *qpair);
 
 static inline struct spdk_nvmf_ns *
 _spdk_nvmf_subsystem_get_ns(struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *subsystem, uint32_t nsid)
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/rdma.c b/lib/nvmf/rdma.c
index 4a534ed31..3a516985d 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/rdma.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/rdma.c
@@ -2027,7 +2027,7 @@ spdk_nvmf_rdma_qp_drained(struct spdk_nvmf_rdma_qpair *rqpair)
 	SPDK_NOTICELOG("IBV QP#%u drained\n", rqpair->qpair.qid);
 
 	if (spdk_nvmf_qpair_is_admin_queue(&rqpair->qpair)) {
-		spdk_nvmf_ctrlr_drain_aer_req(rqpair->qpair.ctrlr);
+		spdk_nvmf_ctrlr_abort_aer(rqpair->qpair.ctrlr);
 	}
 
 	spdk_nvmf_rdma_drain_pending_reqs(rqpair);