diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
index b5ab2c0f2..20badddf9 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
@@ -346,16 +346,14 @@ nvme_ctrlr_set_supported_features(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr)
 void
 nvme_ctrlr_fail(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, bool hot_remove)
 {
-	struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair;
-
+	/*
+	 * Set the flag here and leave the work failure of qpairs to
+	 * spdk_nvme_qpair_process_completions().
+	 */
 	if (hot_remove) {
 		ctrlr->is_removed = true;
 	}
 	ctrlr->is_failed = true;
-	nvme_qpair_fail(ctrlr->adminq);
-	TAILQ_FOREACH(qpair, &ctrlr->active_io_qpairs, tailq) {
-		nvme_qpair_fail(qpair);
-	}
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie.c
index 9ddfb2f97..739ac17fe 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie.c
@@ -1866,6 +1866,11 @@ nvme_pcie_qpair_process_completions(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair, uint32_t max_
 	uint32_t		 num_completions = 0;
 	struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr	*ctrlr = qpair->ctrlr;
 
+	if (qpair->ctrlr->is_failed) {
+		nvme_qpair_fail(qpair);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
 	if (!nvme_pcie_qpair_check_enabled(qpair)) {
 		/*
 		 * qpair is not enabled, likely because a controller reset is
diff --git a/test/lib/nvme/unit/nvme_pcie_c/nvme_pcie_ut.c b/test/lib/nvme/unit/nvme_pcie_c/nvme_pcie_ut.c
index 61f61fecb..15ba7ff9a 100644
--- a/test/lib/nvme/unit/nvme_pcie_c/nvme_pcie_ut.c
+++ b/test/lib/nvme/unit/nvme_pcie_c/nvme_pcie_ut.c
@@ -65,6 +65,11 @@ struct io_request {
 	bool	invalid_second_addr;
 };
 
+void
+nvme_qpair_fail(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
+{
+}
+
 void
 nvme_ctrlr_fail(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, bool hot_remove)
 {