diff --git a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
index e1eb31e8d..06c9dbc41 100644
--- a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
+++ b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
@@ -316,13 +316,11 @@ bdev_nvme_destruct(void *ctx)
 	struct nvme_bdev *nvme_disk = ctx;
 	struct nvme_bdev_ns *nvme_ns = nvme_disk->nvme_ns;
 
-	nvme_ns->bdev = NULL;
-
 	pthread_mutex_lock(&nvme_ns->ctrlr->mutex);
 
-	assert(nvme_ns->ref > 0);
-	nvme_ns->ref--;
-	if (nvme_ns->ref == 0) {
+	nvme_ns->bdev = NULL;
+
+	if (!nvme_ns->populated) {
 		pthread_mutex_unlock(&nvme_ns->ctrlr->mutex);
 
 		nvme_bdev_ctrlr_destruct(nvme_ns->ctrlr);
@@ -1415,7 +1413,6 @@ nvme_bdev_create(struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr *nvme_bdev_ctrlr, struct nvme_bdev_ns *n
 		return rc;
 	}
 
-	nvme_ns->ref++;
 	nvme_ns->bdev = bdev;
 
 	return 0;
@@ -1437,7 +1434,6 @@ nvme_ctrlr_populate_standard_namespace(struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr *nvme_bdev_ctrlr,
 	}
 
 	nvme_ns->ns = ns;
-	nvme_ns->ref = 1;
 	nvme_ns->populated = true;
 
 	rc = nvme_bdev_create(nvme_bdev_ctrlr, nvme_ns);
diff --git a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_ocssd.c b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_ocssd.c
index 54952f1d4..c2df83ad6 100644
--- a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_ocssd.c
+++ b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_ocssd.c
@@ -215,13 +215,11 @@ bdev_ocssd_destruct(void *ctx)
 	struct nvme_bdev *nvme_bdev = &ocssd_bdev->nvme_bdev;
 	struct nvme_bdev_ns *nvme_ns = nvme_bdev->nvme_ns;
 
-	nvme_ns->bdev = NULL;
-
 	pthread_mutex_lock(&nvme_ns->ctrlr->mutex);
 
-	assert(nvme_ns->ref > 0);
-	nvme_ns->ref--;
-	if (nvme_ns->ref == 0) {
+	nvme_ns->bdev = NULL;
+
+	if (!nvme_ns->populated) {
 		pthread_mutex_unlock(&nvme_ns->ctrlr->mutex);
 
 		nvme_bdev_ctrlr_destruct(nvme_ns->ctrlr);
@@ -1115,7 +1113,6 @@ bdev_ocssd_register_bdev(void *ctx)
 
 	rc = spdk_bdev_register(&nvme_bdev->disk);
 	if (spdk_likely(rc == 0)) {
-		nvme_ns->ref++;
 		nvme_ns->bdev = nvme_bdev;
 	} else {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("Failed to register bdev %s\n", nvme_bdev->disk.name);
@@ -1456,7 +1453,6 @@ bdev_ocssd_populate_namespace(struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr *nvme_bdev_ctrlr,
 
 	nvme_ns->type_ctx = ocssd_ns;
 	nvme_ns->ns = ns;
-	nvme_ns->ref = 1;
 	nvme_ns->populated = true;
 	ctx->nvme_ctx = nvme_ctx;
 	ctx->nvme_ns = nvme_ns;
diff --git a/module/bdev/nvme/common.c b/module/bdev/nvme/common.c
index eceeaa692..db2d95759 100644
--- a/module/bdev/nvme/common.c
+++ b/module/bdev/nvme/common.c
@@ -197,9 +197,7 @@ nvme_ctrlr_depopulate_namespace_done(struct nvme_bdev_ns *nvme_ns)
 
 	nvme_ns->populated = false;
 
-	assert(nvme_ns->ref > 0);
-	nvme_ns->ref--;
-	if (nvme_ns->ref > 0) {
+	if (nvme_ns->bdev != NULL) {
 		pthread_mutex_unlock(&nvme_bdev_ctrlr->mutex);
 		return;
 	}
diff --git a/module/bdev/nvme/common.h b/module/bdev/nvme/common.h
index 50784e328..3679e88bd 100644
--- a/module/bdev/nvme/common.h
+++ b/module/bdev/nvme/common.h
@@ -62,7 +62,6 @@ struct nvme_bdev_ns {
 	 *  or when a namespace becomes inactive.
 	 */
 	bool			populated;
-	int			ref;
 	struct spdk_nvme_ns	*ns;
 	struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr	*ctrlr;
 	struct nvme_bdev	*bdev;