diff --git a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
index 8e971e6e3..73209eb37 100644
--- a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
+++ b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
@@ -1218,6 +1218,7 @@ nvme_ctrlr_populate_standard_namespace(struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr *nvme_bdev_ctrlr,
 	}
 
 	nvme_ns->ns = ns;
+	nvme_ns->ref = 1;
 
 	rc = nvme_bdev_create(nvme_bdev_ctrlr, nvme_ns);
 done:
@@ -1311,9 +1312,16 @@ timeout_cb(void *cb_arg, struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr,
 void
 nvme_ctrlr_depopulate_namespace_done(struct nvme_bdev_ns *nvme_ns)
 {
-	struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr *nvme_bdev_ctrlr = nvme_ns->ctrlr;
+	pthread_mutex_lock(&g_bdev_nvme_mutex);
+	assert(nvme_ns->ref > 0);
+	nvme_ns->ref--;
+	if (nvme_ns->ref > 0) {
+		pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_bdev_nvme_mutex);
+		return;
+	}
+	pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_bdev_nvme_mutex);
 
-	nvme_bdev_ctrlr_destruct(nvme_bdev_ctrlr);
+	nvme_bdev_ctrlr_destruct(nvme_ns->ctrlr);
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_ocssd.c b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_ocssd.c
index e231d5632..bba71326c 100644
--- a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_ocssd.c
+++ b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_ocssd.c
@@ -1521,6 +1521,7 @@ 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;
 	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 ac04b829a..28aef1740 100644
--- a/module/bdev/nvme/common.c
+++ b/module/bdev/nvme/common.c
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ nvme_bdev_attach_bdev_to_ns(struct nvme_bdev_ns *nvme_ns, struct nvme_bdev *nvme
 {
 	assert(nvme_disk->nvme_ns == nvme_ns);
 
-	nvme_ns->ctrlr->ref++;
+	nvme_ns->ref++;
 
 	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&nvme_ns->bdevs, nvme_disk, tailq);
 }
@@ -197,11 +197,18 @@ nvme_bdev_attach_bdev_to_ns(struct nvme_bdev_ns *nvme_ns, struct nvme_bdev *nvme
 void
 nvme_bdev_detach_bdev_from_ns(struct nvme_bdev *nvme_disk)
 {
-	struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr *ctrlr = nvme_disk->nvme_ns->ctrlr;
+	struct nvme_bdev_ns *nvme_ns = nvme_disk->nvme_ns;
 
 	pthread_mutex_lock(&g_bdev_nvme_mutex);
 	TAILQ_REMOVE(&nvme_disk->nvme_ns->bdevs, nvme_disk, tailq);
+
+	assert(nvme_ns->ref > 0);
+	nvme_ns->ref--;
+	if (nvme_ns->ref > 0) {
+		pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_bdev_nvme_mutex);
+		return;
+	}
 	pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_bdev_nvme_mutex);
 
-	nvme_bdev_ctrlr_destruct(ctrlr);
+	nvme_bdev_ctrlr_destruct(nvme_ns->ctrlr);
 }
diff --git a/module/bdev/nvme/common.h b/module/bdev/nvme/common.h
index 7b0a2f27f..83bd30247 100644
--- a/module/bdev/nvme/common.h
+++ b/module/bdev/nvme/common.h
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ struct nvme_bdev_ns {
 	 *  or when a namespace becomes inactive.
 	 */
 	bool			populated;
+	int			ref;
 	struct spdk_nvme_ns	*ns;
 	struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr	*ctrlr;
 	TAILQ_HEAD(, nvme_bdev)	bdevs;
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/bdev/bdev_ocssd.c/bdev_ocssd_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/bdev/bdev_ocssd.c/bdev_ocssd_ut.c
index fb9208255..6f76a614c 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/bdev/bdev_ocssd.c/bdev_ocssd_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/bdev/bdev_ocssd.c/bdev_ocssd_ut.c
@@ -197,9 +197,13 @@ nvme_ctrlr_populate_namespace_done(struct nvme_async_probe_ctx *ctx,
 void
 nvme_ctrlr_depopulate_namespace_done(struct nvme_bdev_ns *ns)
 {
-	struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr *ctrlr = ns->ctrlr;
+	CU_ASSERT(ns->ref > 0);
+	ns->ref--;
+	if (ns->ref > 0) {
+		return;
+	}
 
-	nvme_bdev_ctrlr_destruct(ctrlr);
+	nvme_bdev_ctrlr_destruct(ns->ctrlr);
 }
 
 static struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr *