diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
index 86022942a..e55337220 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
@@ -472,9 +472,6 @@ spdk_nvme_ctrlr_reconnect_io_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	/* We have to confirm that any old memory is cleaned up. */
-	nvme_transport_ctrlr_disconnect_qpair(ctrlr, qpair);
-
 	rc = nvme_transport_ctrlr_connect_qpair(ctrlr, qpair);
 	if (rc) {
 		rc = -EAGAIN;
@@ -1165,9 +1162,7 @@ spdk_nvme_ctrlr_reset(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr)
 	/* Disable all queues before disabling the controller hardware. */
 	TAILQ_FOREACH(qpair, &ctrlr->active_io_qpairs, tailq) {
 		qpair->transport_failure_reason = SPDK_NVME_QPAIR_FAILURE_LOCAL;
-		nvme_qpair_set_state(qpair, NVME_QPAIR_DISCONNECTED);
 	}
-	nvme_qpair_set_state(ctrlr->adminq, NVME_QPAIR_DISCONNECTED);
 	nvme_qpair_complete_error_reqs(ctrlr->adminq);
 	nvme_transport_qpair_abort_reqs(ctrlr->adminq, 0 /* retry */);
 	ctrlr->adminq->transport_failure_reason = SPDK_NVME_QPAIR_FAILURE_LOCAL;
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h b/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
index 05c87068c..8dc442285 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
@@ -357,6 +357,7 @@ struct nvme_async_event_request {
 
 enum nvme_qpair_state {
 	NVME_QPAIR_DISCONNECTED,
+	NVME_QPAIR_DISCONNECTING,
 	NVME_QPAIR_CONNECTING,
 	NVME_QPAIR_CONNECTED,
 	NVME_QPAIR_ENABLING,
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c
index 0ea204aed..f785d93eb 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c
@@ -330,18 +330,15 @@ nvme_rdma_qpair_process_cm_event(struct nvme_rdma_qpair *rqpair)
 			break;
 		case RDMA_CM_EVENT_DISCONNECTED:
 			rqpair->qpair.transport_failure_reason = SPDK_NVME_QPAIR_FAILURE_REMOTE;
-			nvme_qpair_set_state(&rqpair->qpair, NVME_QPAIR_DISCONNECTED);
 			break;
 		case RDMA_CM_EVENT_DEVICE_REMOVAL:
 			rqpair->qpair.transport_failure_reason = SPDK_NVME_QPAIR_FAILURE_LOCAL;
-			nvme_qpair_set_state(&rqpair->qpair, NVME_QPAIR_DISCONNECTED);
 			break;
 		case RDMA_CM_EVENT_MULTICAST_JOIN:
 		case RDMA_CM_EVENT_MULTICAST_ERROR:
 			break;
 		case RDMA_CM_EVENT_ADDR_CHANGE:
 			rqpair->qpair.transport_failure_reason = SPDK_NVME_QPAIR_FAILURE_LOCAL;
-			nvme_qpair_set_state(&rqpair->qpair, NVME_QPAIR_DISCONNECTED);
 			break;
 		case RDMA_CM_EVENT_TIMEWAIT_EXIT:
 			break;
@@ -1631,7 +1628,6 @@ nvme_rdma_ctrlr_disconnect_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, struct spdk_nvme
 	struct nvme_rdma_ctrlr *rctrlr;
 	struct nvme_rdma_cm_event_entry *entry, *tmp;
 
-	nvme_qpair_set_state(qpair, NVME_QPAIR_DISCONNECTED);
 	nvme_rdma_unregister_mem(rqpair);
 	nvme_rdma_unregister_reqs(rqpair);
 	nvme_rdma_unregister_rsps(rqpair);
@@ -2007,7 +2003,7 @@ nvme_rdma_qpair_process_completions(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair,
 	}
 	nvme_rdma_qpair_process_cm_event(rqpair);
 
-	if (spdk_unlikely(nvme_qpair_get_state(qpair) == NVME_QPAIR_DISCONNECTED)) {
+	if (spdk_unlikely(qpair->transport_failure_reason != SPDK_NVME_QPAIR_FAILURE_NONE)) {
 		goto fail;
 	}
 
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_tcp.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_tcp.c
index 60176a522..e23049429 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_tcp.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_tcp.c
@@ -235,12 +235,6 @@ nvme_tcp_ctrlr_disconnect_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, struct spdk_nvme_
 	struct nvme_tcp_qpair *tqpair = nvme_tcp_qpair(qpair);
 	struct nvme_tcp_pdu *pdu;
 
-	if (nvme_qpair_get_state(qpair) == NVME_QPAIR_DISCONNECTED) {
-		/* Already disconnecting */
-		return;
-	}
-
-	nvme_qpair_set_state(qpair, NVME_QPAIR_DISCONNECTED);
 	spdk_sock_close(&tqpair->sock);
 
 	/* clear the send_queue */
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_transport.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_transport.c
index c2ebf86da..6d3c2fa02 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_transport.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_transport.c
@@ -280,12 +280,17 @@ int
 nvme_transport_ctrlr_connect_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
 {
 	const struct spdk_nvme_transport *transport = nvme_get_transport(ctrlr->trid.trstring);
+	uint8_t transport_failure_reason;
 	int rc;
 
 	assert(transport != NULL);
 	if (!nvme_qpair_is_admin_queue(qpair)) {
 		qpair->transport = transport;
 	}
+
+	transport_failure_reason = qpair->transport_failure_reason;
+	qpair->transport_failure_reason = SPDK_NVME_QPAIR_FAILURE_NONE;
+
 	nvme_qpair_set_state(qpair, NVME_QPAIR_CONNECTING);
 	rc = transport->ops.ctrlr_connect_qpair(ctrlr, qpair);
 	if (rc != 0) {
@@ -300,10 +305,11 @@ nvme_transport_ctrlr_connect_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, struct spdk_nv
 		}
 	}
 
-	qpair->transport_failure_reason = SPDK_NVME_QPAIR_FAILURE_NONE;
 	return rc;
 
 err:
+	/* If the qpair was unable to reconnect, restore the original failure reason. */
+	qpair->transport_failure_reason = transport_failure_reason;
 	nvme_transport_ctrlr_disconnect_qpair(ctrlr, qpair);
 	nvme_qpair_set_state(qpair, NVME_QPAIR_DISCONNECTED);
 	return rc;
@@ -314,11 +320,18 @@ nvme_transport_ctrlr_disconnect_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, struct spdk
 {
 	const struct spdk_nvme_transport *transport = nvme_get_transport(ctrlr->trid.trstring);
 
+	if (nvme_qpair_get_state(qpair) == NVME_QPAIR_DISCONNECTING ||
+	    nvme_qpair_get_state(qpair) == NVME_QPAIR_DISCONNECTED) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	nvme_qpair_set_state(qpair, NVME_QPAIR_DISCONNECTING);
 	assert(transport != NULL);
 	if (qpair->poll_group) {
 		nvme_poll_group_deactivate_qpair(qpair);
 	}
 	transport->ops.ctrlr_disconnect_qpair(ctrlr, qpair);
+	nvme_qpair_set_state(qpair, NVME_QPAIR_DISCONNECTED);
 }
 
 void