diff --git a/lib/nvmf/fc.c b/lib/nvmf/fc.c
index a90a5a23a..855649cd0 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/fc.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/fc.c
@@ -1483,7 +1483,7 @@ spdk_nvmf_fc_request_free(struct spdk_nvmf_fc_request *fc_req)
 
 	/* Release IO buffers */
 	if (fc_req->req.data_from_pool) {
-		spdk_nvmf_request_free_buffers(&fc_req->req, group, transport, fc_req->req.iovcnt);
+		spdk_nvmf_request_free_buffers(&fc_req->req, group, transport);
 	}
 	fc_req->req.data = NULL;
 	fc_req->req.iovcnt  = 0;
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/nvmf_internal.h b/lib/nvmf/nvmf_internal.h
index 99b2f2d76..a212850bd 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/nvmf_internal.h
+++ b/lib/nvmf/nvmf_internal.h
@@ -213,6 +213,7 @@ struct spdk_nvmf_request {
 	union nvmf_h2c_msg		*cmd;
 	union nvmf_c2h_msg		*rsp;
 	void				*buffers[NVMF_REQ_MAX_BUFFERS];
+	uint32_t			num_buffers;
 	struct iovec			iov[NVMF_REQ_MAX_BUFFERS];
 	uint32_t			iovcnt;
 	bool				data_from_pool;
@@ -385,8 +386,7 @@ int spdk_nvmf_request_complete(struct spdk_nvmf_request *req);
 
 void spdk_nvmf_request_free_buffers(struct spdk_nvmf_request *req,
 				    struct spdk_nvmf_transport_poll_group *group,
-				    struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport,
-				    uint32_t num_buffers);
+				    struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport);
 int spdk_nvmf_request_get_buffers(struct spdk_nvmf_request *req,
 				  struct spdk_nvmf_transport_poll_group *group,
 				  struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport,
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/rdma.c b/lib/nvmf/rdma.c
index 38d2d4cfd..ff798a9c0 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/rdma.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/rdma.c
@@ -1712,7 +1712,7 @@ spdk_nvmf_rdma_request_fill_iovs(struct spdk_nvmf_rdma_transport *rtransport,
 	return rc;
 
 err_exit:
-	spdk_nvmf_request_free_buffers(req, &rgroup->group, &rtransport->transport, num_buffers);
+	spdk_nvmf_request_free_buffers(req, &rgroup->group, &rtransport->transport);
 	memset(wr->sg_list, 0, sizeof(wr->sg_list[0]) * wr->num_sge);
 	wr->num_sge = 0;
 	req->iovcnt = 0;
@@ -1813,7 +1813,7 @@ nvmf_rdma_request_fill_iovs_multi_sgl(struct spdk_nvmf_rdma_transport *rtranspor
 	return 0;
 
 err_exit:
-	spdk_nvmf_request_free_buffers(req, &rgroup->group, &rtransport->transport, num_buffers);
+	spdk_nvmf_request_free_buffers(req, &rgroup->group, &rtransport->transport);
 	nvmf_rdma_request_free_data(rdma_req, rtransport);
 	return rc;
 }
@@ -1962,8 +1962,7 @@ nvmf_rdma_request_free(struct spdk_nvmf_rdma_request *rdma_req,
 	if (rdma_req->req.data_from_pool) {
 		rgroup = rqpair->poller->group;
 
-		spdk_nvmf_request_free_buffers(&rdma_req->req, &rgroup->group, &rtransport->transport,
-					       rdma_req->req.iovcnt);
+		spdk_nvmf_request_free_buffers(&rdma_req->req, &rgroup->group, &rtransport->transport);
 	}
 	nvmf_rdma_request_free_data(rdma_req, rtransport);
 	rdma_req->req.length = 0;
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/tcp.c b/lib/nvmf/tcp.c
index b37417b48..794f3591e 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/tcp.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/tcp.c
@@ -2677,8 +2677,7 @@ spdk_nvmf_tcp_req_process(struct spdk_nvmf_tcp_transport *ttransport,
 		case TCP_REQUEST_STATE_COMPLETED:
 			spdk_trace_record(TRACE_TCP_REQUEST_STATE_COMPLETED, 0, 0, (uintptr_t)tcp_req, 0);
 			if (tcp_req->req.data_from_pool) {
-				spdk_nvmf_request_free_buffers(&tcp_req->req, group, &ttransport->transport,
-							       tcp_req->req.iovcnt);
+				spdk_nvmf_request_free_buffers(&tcp_req->req, group, &ttransport->transport);
 			}
 			tcp_req->req.length = 0;
 			tcp_req->req.iovcnt = 0;
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/transport.c b/lib/nvmf/transport.c
index d7856502c..3f852a350 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/transport.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/transport.c
@@ -368,12 +368,11 @@ spdk_nvmf_transport_poll_group_free_stat(struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport,
 void
 spdk_nvmf_request_free_buffers(struct spdk_nvmf_request *req,
 			       struct spdk_nvmf_transport_poll_group *group,
-			       struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport,
-			       uint32_t num_buffers)
+			       struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport)
 {
 	uint32_t i;
 
-	for (i = 0; i < num_buffers; i++) {
+	for (i = 0; i < req->num_buffers; i++) {
 		if (group->buf_cache_count < group->buf_cache_size) {
 			STAILQ_INSERT_HEAD(&group->buf_cache,
 					   (struct spdk_nvmf_transport_pg_cache_buf *)req->buffers[i],
@@ -386,6 +385,7 @@ spdk_nvmf_request_free_buffers(struct spdk_nvmf_request *req,
 		req->buffers[i] = NULL;
 		req->iov[i].iov_len = 0;
 	}
+	req->num_buffers = 0;
 	req->data_from_pool = false;
 }
 
@@ -400,15 +400,18 @@ spdk_nvmf_request_get_buffers(struct spdk_nvmf_request *req,
 	while (i < num_buffers) {
 		if (!(STAILQ_EMPTY(&group->buf_cache))) {
 			group->buf_cache_count--;
-			req->buffers[i] = STAILQ_FIRST(&group->buf_cache);
+			req->buffers[req->num_buffers] = STAILQ_FIRST(&group->buf_cache);
 			STAILQ_REMOVE_HEAD(&group->buf_cache, link);
-			assert(req->buffers[i] != NULL);
+			assert(req->buffers[req->num_buffers] != NULL);
+			req->num_buffers++;
 			i++;
 		} else {
-			if (spdk_mempool_get_bulk(transport->data_buf_pool, &req->buffers[i],
+			if (spdk_mempool_get_bulk(transport->data_buf_pool,
+						  &req->buffers[req->num_buffers],
 						  num_buffers - i)) {
 				goto err_exit;
 			}
+			req->num_buffers += num_buffers - i;
 			i += num_buffers - i;
 		}
 	}
@@ -416,6 +419,6 @@ spdk_nvmf_request_get_buffers(struct spdk_nvmf_request *req,
 	return 0;
 
 err_exit:
-	spdk_nvmf_request_free_buffers(req, group, transport, i);
+	spdk_nvmf_request_free_buffers(req, group, transport);
 	return -ENOMEM;
 }
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/rdma.c/rdma_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/rdma.c/rdma_ut.c
index 6ebcd8127..4d8dc4a04 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/rdma.c/rdma_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/rdma.c/rdma_ut.c
@@ -82,12 +82,11 @@ DEFINE_STUB(spdk_nvmf_request_get_dif_ctx, bool, (struct spdk_nvmf_request *req,
 void
 spdk_nvmf_request_free_buffers(struct spdk_nvmf_request *req,
 			       struct spdk_nvmf_transport_poll_group *group,
-			       struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport,
-			       uint32_t num_buffers)
+			       struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport)
 {
 	uint32_t i;
 
-	for (i = 0; i < num_buffers; i++) {
+	for (i = 0; i < req->num_buffers; i++) {
 		if (group->buf_cache_count < group->buf_cache_size) {
 			STAILQ_INSERT_HEAD(&group->buf_cache,
 					   (struct spdk_nvmf_transport_pg_cache_buf *)req->buffers[i],
@@ -100,6 +99,7 @@ spdk_nvmf_request_free_buffers(struct spdk_nvmf_request *req,
 		req->buffers[i] = NULL;
 		req->iov[i].iov_len = 0;
 	}
+	req->num_buffers = 0;
 	req->data_from_pool = false;
 }
 
@@ -114,14 +114,17 @@ spdk_nvmf_request_get_buffers(struct spdk_nvmf_request *req,
 	while (i < num_buffers) {
 		if (!(STAILQ_EMPTY(&group->buf_cache))) {
 			group->buf_cache_count--;
-			req->buffers[i] = STAILQ_FIRST(&group->buf_cache);
+			req->buffers[req->num_buffers] = STAILQ_FIRST(&group->buf_cache);
 			STAILQ_REMOVE_HEAD(&group->buf_cache, link);
+			req->num_buffers++;
 			i++;
 		} else {
-			if (spdk_mempool_get_bulk(transport->data_buf_pool, &req->buffers[i],
+			if (spdk_mempool_get_bulk(transport->data_buf_pool,
+						  &req->buffers[req->num_buffers],
 						  num_buffers - i)) {
 				goto err_exit;
 			}
+			req->num_buffers += num_buffers - i;
 			i += num_buffers - i;
 		}
 	}
@@ -129,7 +132,7 @@ spdk_nvmf_request_get_buffers(struct spdk_nvmf_request *req,
 	return 0;
 
 err_exit:
-	spdk_nvmf_request_free_buffers(req, group, transport, i);
+	spdk_nvmf_request_free_buffers(req, group, transport);
 	return -ENOMEM;
 }
 
@@ -168,6 +171,8 @@ static void reset_nvmf_rdma_request(struct spdk_nvmf_rdma_request *rdma_req)
 		rdma_req->data.wr.sg_list[i].length = 0;
 		rdma_req->data.wr.sg_list[i].lkey = 0;
 	}
+	rdma_req->req.iovcnt = 0;
+	rdma_req->req.num_buffers = 0;
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/tcp.c/tcp_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/tcp.c/tcp_ut.c
index eacbccf79..75ec759de 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/tcp.c/tcp_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/tcp.c/tcp_ut.c
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ DEFINE_STUB(spdk_nvmf_request_get_buffers,
 
 DEFINE_STUB_V(spdk_nvmf_request_free_buffers,
 	      (struct spdk_nvmf_request *req, struct spdk_nvmf_transport_poll_group *group,
-	       struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport, uint32_t num_buffers));
+	       struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport));
 
 DEFINE_STUB(spdk_sock_get_optimal_sock_group,
 	    int,