diff --git a/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_tgt.c b/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_tgt.c
index 20caa74eb..998c81890 100644
--- a/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_tgt.c
+++ b/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_tgt.c
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ nvmf_tgt_create_subsystem(const char *name, enum spdk_nvmf_subtype subtype,
 	struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *subsystem;
 	struct nvmf_tgt_subsystem *app_subsys;
 
-	if (spdk_nvmf_find_subsystem(name)) {
+	if (spdk_nvmf_tgt_find_subsystem(g_tgt, name)) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("Subsystem already exist\n");
 		return NULL;
 	}
diff --git a/include/spdk/nvmf.h b/include/spdk/nvmf.h
index 5d7fff4da..83f6385df 100644
--- a/include/spdk/nvmf.h
+++ b/include/spdk/nvmf.h
@@ -105,6 +105,12 @@ struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *spdk_nvmf_create_subsystem(struct spdk_nvmf_tgt *tgt
 		spdk_nvmf_subsystem_connect_fn connect_cb,
 		spdk_nvmf_subsystem_disconnect_fn disconnect_cb);
 
+/**
+ * Search the target for a subsystem with the given NQN
+ */
+struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *spdk_nvmf_tgt_find_subsystem(struct spdk_nvmf_tgt *tgt,
+		const char *subnqn);
+
 /**
  * Initialize the subsystem on the thread that will be used to poll it.
  *
@@ -114,8 +120,6 @@ int spdk_nvmf_subsystem_start(struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *subsystem);
 
 void spdk_nvmf_delete_subsystem(struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *subsystem);
 
-struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *spdk_nvmf_find_subsystem(const char *subnqn);
-
 /**
  * Allow the given host NQN to connect to the given subsystem.
  *
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/ctrlr.c b/lib/nvmf/ctrlr.c
index 95aacb658..a30834a84 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/ctrlr.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/ctrlr.c
@@ -205,6 +205,7 @@ spdk_nvmf_ctrlr_connect(struct spdk_nvmf_qpair *qpair,
 			struct spdk_nvmf_fabric_connect_data *data,
 			struct spdk_nvmf_fabric_connect_rsp *rsp)
 {
+	struct spdk_nvmf_tgt *tgt;
 	struct spdk_nvmf_ctrlr *ctrlr;
 	struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *subsystem;
 
@@ -227,7 +228,9 @@ spdk_nvmf_ctrlr_connect(struct spdk_nvmf_qpair *qpair,
 	SPDK_TRACELOG(SPDK_TRACE_NVMF, "  subnqn: \"%s\"\n", data->subnqn);
 	SPDK_TRACELOG(SPDK_TRACE_NVMF, "  hostnqn: \"%s\"\n", data->hostnqn);
 
-	subsystem = spdk_nvmf_find_subsystem(data->subnqn);
+	tgt = qpair->transport->tgt;
+
+	subsystem = spdk_nvmf_tgt_find_subsystem(tgt, data->subnqn);
 	if (subsystem == NULL) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("Could not find subsystem '%s'\n", data->subnqn);
 		INVALID_CONNECT_DATA(subnqn);
@@ -238,9 +241,9 @@ spdk_nvmf_ctrlr_connect(struct spdk_nvmf_qpair *qpair,
 	 * SQSIZE is a 0-based value, so it must be at least 1 (minimum queue depth is 2) and
 	 *  strictly less than max_queue_depth.
 	 */
-	if (cmd->sqsize == 0 || cmd->sqsize >= subsystem->tgt->opts.max_queue_depth) {
+	if (cmd->sqsize == 0 || cmd->sqsize >= tgt->opts.max_queue_depth) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("Invalid SQSIZE %u (min 1, max %u)\n",
-			    cmd->sqsize, subsystem->tgt->opts.max_queue_depth - 1);
+			    cmd->sqsize, tgt->opts.max_queue_depth - 1);
 		INVALID_CONNECT_CMD(sqsize);
 		return;
 	}
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c b/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
index a28f2f878..f7491b110 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
@@ -112,6 +112,24 @@ spdk_nvmf_tgt_destroy(struct spdk_nvmf_tgt *tgt)
 	}
 }
 
+struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *
+spdk_nvmf_tgt_find_subsystem(struct spdk_nvmf_tgt *tgt, const char *subnqn)
+{
+	struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem	*subsystem;
+
+	if (!subnqn) {
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	TAILQ_FOREACH(subsystem, &tgt->subsystems, entries) {
+		if (strcmp(subnqn, subsystem->subnqn) == 0) {
+			return subsystem;
+		}
+	}
+
+	return NULL;
+}
+
 struct spdk_nvmf_transport *
 spdk_nvmf_tgt_get_transport(struct spdk_nvmf_tgt *tgt, enum spdk_nvme_transport_type type)
 {
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/request.c b/lib/nvmf/request.c
index ad5658e69..1c87ebeae 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/request.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/request.c
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ invalid_connect_response(struct spdk_nvmf_fabric_connect_rsp *rsp, uint8_t iattr
 static spdk_nvmf_request_exec_status
 nvmf_process_connect(struct spdk_nvmf_request *req)
 {
+	struct spdk_nvmf_tgt		*tgt;
 	struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem	*subsystem;
 	struct spdk_nvmf_fabric_connect_data *data = (struct spdk_nvmf_fabric_connect_data *)
 			req->data;
@@ -160,7 +161,9 @@ nvmf_process_connect(struct spdk_nvmf_request *req)
 		return SPDK_NVMF_REQUEST_EXEC_STATUS_COMPLETE;
 	}
 
-	subsystem = spdk_nvmf_find_subsystem(data->subnqn);
+	tgt = req->qpair->transport->tgt;
+
+	subsystem = spdk_nvmf_tgt_find_subsystem(tgt, data->subnqn);
 	if (subsystem == NULL) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("Could not find subsystem '%s'\n", data->subnqn);
 		INVALID_CONNECT_DATA(subnqn);
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c b/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c
index 65d6fd87e..9b0ac0400 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c
@@ -46,24 +46,6 @@
 #include "spdk_internal/bdev.h"
 #include "spdk_internal/log.h"
 
-struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *
-spdk_nvmf_find_subsystem(const char *subnqn)
-{
-	struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem	*subsystem;
-
-	if (!subnqn) {
-		return NULL;
-	}
-
-	TAILQ_FOREACH(subsystem, &g_nvmf_tgt.subsystems, entries) {
-		if (strcmp(subnqn, subsystem->subnqn) == 0) {
-			return subsystem;
-		}
-	}
-
-	return NULL;
-}
-
 struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *
 spdk_nvmf_find_subsystem_with_cntlid(uint16_t cntlid)
 {
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/ctrlr.c/ctrlr_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/ctrlr.c/ctrlr_ut.c
index ebe99afb3..9552d838a 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/ctrlr.c/ctrlr_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/ctrlr.c/ctrlr_ut.c
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ spdk_nvmf_find_subsystem_with_cntlid(uint16_t cntlid)
 }
 
 struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *
-spdk_nvmf_find_subsystem(const char *subnqn)
+spdk_nvmf_tgt_find_subsystem(struct spdk_nvmf_tgt *tgt, const char *subnqn)
 {
 	return NULL;
 }
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/request.c/request_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/request.c/request_ut.c
index 1db259927..82ac17869 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/request.c/request_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/request.c/request_ut.c
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ spdk_nvmf_get_discovery_log_page(void *buffer, uint64_t offset, uint32_t length)
 }
 
 struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *
-spdk_nvmf_find_subsystem(const char *subnqn)
+spdk_nvmf_tgt_find_subsystem(struct spdk_nvmf_tgt *tgt, const char *subnqn)
 {
 	return NULL;
 }
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c/subsystem_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c/subsystem_ut.c
index c1b7d5a8c..755ecc0ff 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c/subsystem_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c/subsystem_ut.c
@@ -273,13 +273,6 @@ nvmf_test_create_subsystem(void)
 	CU_ASSERT(subsystem == NULL);
 }
 
-static void
-nvmf_test_find_subsystem(void)
-{
-	CU_ASSERT_PTR_NULL(spdk_nvmf_find_subsystem(NULL));
-	CU_ASSERT_PTR_NULL(spdk_nvmf_find_subsystem("fake"));
-}
-
 int main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
 	CU_pSuite	suite = NULL;
@@ -298,8 +291,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	if (
 		CU_add_test(suite, "create_subsystem", nvmf_test_create_subsystem) == NULL ||
 		CU_add_test(suite, "nvmf_tgt_listen", test_spdk_nvmf_tgt_listen) == NULL ||
-		CU_add_test(suite, "nvmf_subsystem_add_ns", test_spdk_nvmf_subsystem_add_ns) == NULL ||
-		CU_add_test(suite, "find_subsystem", nvmf_test_find_subsystem) == NULL) {
+		CU_add_test(suite, "nvmf_subsystem_add_ns", test_spdk_nvmf_subsystem_add_ns) == NULL) {
 		CU_cleanup_registry();
 		return CU_get_error();
 	}