diff --git a/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c b/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c
index 296183e2a..59d5418b0 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c
@@ -128,17 +128,16 @@ nvmf_create_subsystem(int num, const char *name,
 	return subsystem;
 }
 
-int
-nvmf_delete_subsystem(struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *subsystem)
+static void
+nvmf_delete_subsystem_poller_unreg(struct spdk_event *event)
 {
+	struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem	*subsystem = spdk_event_get_arg1(event);
 	struct spdk_nvmf_listen_addr	*listen_addr, *listen_addr_tmp;
 	struct spdk_nvmf_host		*host, *host_tmp;
 
-	if (subsystem == NULL) {
-		SPDK_TRACELOG(SPDK_TRACE_NVMF,
-			      "nvmf_delete_subsystem: there is no subsystem\n");
-		return 0;
-	}
+	/*
+	 * The poller has been unregistered, so now the memory can be freed.
+	 */
 
 	TAILQ_FOREACH_SAFE(listen_addr, &subsystem->listen_addrs, link, listen_addr_tmp) {
 		TAILQ_REMOVE(&subsystem->listen_addrs, listen_addr, link);
@@ -166,6 +165,27 @@ nvmf_delete_subsystem(struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *subsystem)
 	TAILQ_REMOVE(&g_subsystems, subsystem, entries);
 
 	free(subsystem);
+}
+
+int
+nvmf_delete_subsystem(struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *subsystem)
+{
+	struct spdk_event		*event;
+
+	if (subsystem == NULL) {
+		SPDK_TRACELOG(SPDK_TRACE_NVMF,
+			      "nvmf_delete_subsystem: there is no subsystem\n");
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	/*
+	 * Unregister the poller - this starts a chain of events that will eventually free
+	 * the subsystem's memory.
+	 */
+	event = spdk_event_allocate(spdk_app_get_current_core(), nvmf_delete_subsystem_poller_unreg,
+				    subsystem, NULL, NULL);
+	spdk_poller_unregister(&subsystem->poller, event);
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/test/lib/nvmf/subsystem/subsystem_ut.c b/test/lib/nvmf/subsystem/subsystem_ut.c
index 4eb184fd2..53f3b99fb 100644
--- a/test/lib/nvmf/subsystem/subsystem_ut.c
+++ b/test/lib/nvmf/subsystem/subsystem_ut.c
@@ -47,12 +47,30 @@ SPDK_LOG_REGISTER_TRACE_FLAG("nvmf", SPDK_TRACE_NVMF)
 
 struct spdk_nvmf_globals g_nvmf_tgt;
 
+uint32_t
+spdk_app_get_current_core(void)
+{
+	return 0;
+}
+
+struct spdk_event *spdk_event_allocate(uint32_t lcore, spdk_event_fn fn,
+				       void *arg1, void *arg2,
+				       spdk_event_t next)
+{
+	return NULL;
+}
+
 void
 spdk_poller_register(struct spdk_poller **ppoller, spdk_poller_fn fn, void *arg, uint32_t lcore,
 		     struct spdk_event *complete, uint64_t period_microseconds)
 {
 }
 
+void spdk_poller_unregister(struct spdk_poller **ppoller,
+			    struct spdk_event *complete)
+{
+}
+
 int32_t
 spdk_nvme_ctrlr_process_admin_completions(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr)
 {