diff --git a/examples/nvme/identify/identify.c b/examples/nvme/identify/identify.c
index 76a947c07..0f2218382 100644
--- a/examples/nvme/identify/identify.c
+++ b/examples/nvme/identify/identify.c
@@ -338,6 +338,11 @@ print_namespace(struct spdk_nvme_ns *ns)
 		printf("\n");
 	}
 
+	if (!spdk_nvme_ns_is_active(ns)) {
+		printf("Inactive namespace ID\n\n");
+		return;
+	}
+
 	printf("Deallocate:                  %s\n",
 	       (flags & SPDK_NVME_NS_DEALLOCATE_SUPPORTED) ? "Supported" : "Not Supported");
 	printf("Flush:                       %s\n",
diff --git a/examples/nvme/perf/perf.c b/examples/nvme/perf/perf.c
index b7bbad404..98a58ca5e 100644
--- a/examples/nvme/perf/perf.c
+++ b/examples/nvme/perf/perf.c
@@ -152,6 +152,13 @@ register_ns(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, struct spdk_nvme_ns *ns)
 
 	cdata = spdk_nvme_ctrlr_get_data(ctrlr);
 
+	if (!spdk_nvme_ns_is_active(ns)) {
+		printf("Controller %-20.20s (%-20.20s): Skipping inactive NS %u\n",
+		       cdata->mn, cdata->sn,
+		       spdk_nvme_ns_get_id(ns));
+		return;
+	}
+
 	if (spdk_nvme_ns_get_size(ns) < g_io_size_bytes ||
 	    spdk_nvme_ns_get_sector_size(ns) > g_io_size_bytes) {
 		printf("WARNING: controller %-20.20s (%-20.20s) ns %u has invalid "
diff --git a/include/spdk/nvme.h b/include/spdk/nvme.h
index 226fc032c..567ac52fc 100644
--- a/include/spdk/nvme.h
+++ b/include/spdk/nvme.h
@@ -356,6 +356,13 @@ const struct spdk_nvme_ns_data *spdk_nvme_ns_get_data(struct spdk_nvme_ns *ns);
  */
 uint32_t spdk_nvme_ns_get_id(struct spdk_nvme_ns *ns);
 
+/**
+ * \brief Determine whether a namespace is active.
+ *
+ * Inactive namespaces cannot be the target of I/O commands.
+ */
+bool spdk_nvme_ns_is_active(struct spdk_nvme_ns *ns);
+
 /**
  * \brief Get the maximum transfer size, in bytes, for an I/O sent to the given namespace.
  *
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_ns.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_ns.c
index 3c2a53869..1b6c9005b 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_ns.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_ns.c
@@ -45,6 +45,19 @@ spdk_nvme_ns_get_id(struct spdk_nvme_ns *ns)
 	return ns->id;
 }
 
+bool
+spdk_nvme_ns_is_active(struct spdk_nvme_ns *ns)
+{
+	const struct spdk_nvme_ns_data *nsdata = _nvme_ns_get_data(ns);
+
+	/*
+	 * According to the spec, Identify Namespace will return a zero-filled structure for
+	 *  inactive namespace IDs.
+	 * Check NCAP since it must be nonzero for an active namespace.
+	 */
+	return nsdata->ncap != 0;
+}
+
 uint32_t
 spdk_nvme_ns_get_max_io_xfer_size(struct spdk_nvme_ns *ns)
 {
diff --git a/test/lib/nvme/reset/reset.c b/test/lib/nvme/reset/reset.c
index 01fb7e81c..d97267d0d 100644
--- a/test/lib/nvme/reset/reset.c
+++ b/test/lib/nvme/reset/reset.c
@@ -106,6 +106,11 @@ register_ns(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, struct spdk_nvme_ns *ns)
 	struct ns_entry *entry;
 	const struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr_data *cdata;
 
+	if (!spdk_nvme_ns_is_active(ns)) {
+		printf("Skipping inactive NS %u\n", spdk_nvme_ns_get_id(ns));
+		return;
+	}
+
 	entry = malloc(sizeof(struct ns_entry));
 	if (entry == NULL) {
 		perror("ns_entry malloc");