diff --git a/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_tgt.c b/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_tgt.c
index d78a07d89..1551759df 100644
--- a/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_tgt.c
+++ b/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_tgt.c
@@ -124,44 +124,6 @@ subsystem_poll(void *arg)
 	spdk_nvmf_subsystem_poll(app_subsys->subsystem);
 }
 
-static void
-connect_event(void *arg1, void *arg2)
-{
-	struct spdk_nvmf_request *req = arg1;
-
-	spdk_nvmf_handle_connect(req);
-}
-
-static void
-connect_cb(void *cb_ctx, struct spdk_nvmf_request *req)
-{
-	struct nvmf_tgt_subsystem *app_subsys = cb_ctx;
-	struct spdk_event *event;
-
-	/* Pass an event to the lcore that owns this subsystem */
-	event = spdk_event_allocate(app_subsys->lcore, connect_event, req, NULL);
-	spdk_event_call(event);
-}
-
-static void
-disconnect_event(void *arg1, void *arg2)
-{
-	struct spdk_nvmf_qpair *qpair = arg1;
-
-	spdk_nvmf_ctrlr_disconnect(qpair);
-}
-
-static void
-disconnect_cb(void *cb_ctx, struct spdk_nvmf_qpair *qpair)
-{
-	struct nvmf_tgt_subsystem *app_subsys = cb_ctx;
-	struct spdk_event *event;
-
-	/* Pass an event to the core that owns this connection */
-	event = spdk_event_allocate(app_subsys->lcore, disconnect_event, qpair, NULL);
-	spdk_event_call(event);
-}
-
 static void
 _nvmf_tgt_start_subsystem(void *arg1, void *arg2)
 {
@@ -202,8 +164,7 @@ nvmf_tgt_create_subsystem(const char *name, enum spdk_nvmf_subtype subtype, uint
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	subsystem = spdk_nvmf_create_subsystem(g_tgt, name, subtype, num_ns, app_subsys, connect_cb,
-					       disconnect_cb);
+	subsystem = spdk_nvmf_create_subsystem(g_tgt, name, subtype, num_ns);
 	if (subsystem == NULL) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("Subsystem creation failed\n");
 		free(app_subsys);
diff --git a/include/spdk/nvmf.h b/include/spdk/nvmf.h
index 0383cca47..38e294239 100644
--- a/include/spdk/nvmf.h
+++ b/include/spdk/nvmf.h
@@ -100,9 +100,6 @@ struct spdk_nvmf_request;
 struct spdk_nvmf_host;
 struct spdk_nvmf_listener;
 
-typedef void (*spdk_nvmf_subsystem_connect_fn)(void *cb_ctx, struct spdk_nvmf_request *req);
-typedef void (*spdk_nvmf_subsystem_disconnect_fn)(void *cb_ctx, struct spdk_nvmf_qpair *qpair);
-
 /*
  * The NVMf subsystem, as indicated in the specification, is a collection
  * of controllers.  Any individual controller has
@@ -111,10 +108,7 @@ typedef void (*spdk_nvmf_subsystem_disconnect_fn)(void *cb_ctx, struct spdk_nvmf
 struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *spdk_nvmf_create_subsystem(struct spdk_nvmf_tgt *tgt,
 		const char *nqn,
 		enum spdk_nvmf_subtype type,
-		uint32_t num_ns,
-		void *cb_ctx,
-		spdk_nvmf_subsystem_connect_fn connect_cb,
-		spdk_nvmf_subsystem_disconnect_fn disconnect_cb);
+		uint32_t num_ns);
 
 /**
  * Search the target for a subsystem with the given NQN
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/nvmf_internal.h b/lib/nvmf/nvmf_internal.h
index 66cc95b78..8e023c905 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/nvmf_internal.h
+++ b/lib/nvmf/nvmf_internal.h
@@ -97,10 +97,6 @@ struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem {
 	uint32_t 				max_nsid;
 	uint32_t				num_allocated_nsid;
 
-	void					*cb_ctx;
-	spdk_nvmf_subsystem_connect_fn		connect_cb;
-	spdk_nvmf_subsystem_disconnect_fn	disconnect_cb;
-
 	TAILQ_HEAD(, spdk_nvmf_ctrlr)		ctrlrs;
 
 	TAILQ_HEAD(, spdk_nvmf_host)		hosts;
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/rdma.c b/lib/nvmf/rdma.c
index e7f141ae0..4952cf2da 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/rdma.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/rdma.c
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 #include "transport.h"
 
 #include "spdk/assert.h"
+#include "spdk/io_channel.h"
 #include "spdk/nvmf.h"
 #include "spdk/nvmf_spec.h"
 #include "spdk/string.h"
@@ -675,12 +676,19 @@ err0:
 	return -1;
 }
 
+static void
+nvmf_rdma_handle_disconnect(void *ctx)
+{
+	struct spdk_nvmf_qpair *qpair = ctx;
+
+	spdk_nvmf_ctrlr_disconnect(qpair);
+}
+
 static int
 nvmf_rdma_disconnect(struct rdma_cm_event *evt)
 {
 	struct spdk_nvmf_qpair		*qpair;
 	struct spdk_nvmf_ctrlr		*ctrlr;
-	struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem	*subsystem;
 	struct spdk_nvmf_rdma_qpair 	*rdma_qpair;
 	struct spdk_nvmf_rdma_qpair	*r, *t;
 
@@ -720,9 +728,7 @@ nvmf_rdma_disconnect(struct rdma_cm_event *evt)
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	subsystem = ctrlr->subsys;
-
-	subsystem->disconnect_cb(subsystem->cb_ctx, qpair);
+	spdk_thread_send_msg(qpair->thread, nvmf_rdma_handle_disconnect, qpair);
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/request.c b/lib/nvmf/request.c
index 7540190e1..e8a0a7904 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/request.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/request.c
@@ -111,24 +111,6 @@ nvmf_process_property_set(struct spdk_nvmf_request *req)
 	return SPDK_NVMF_REQUEST_EXEC_STATUS_COMPLETE;
 }
 
-void
-spdk_nvmf_handle_connect(struct spdk_nvmf_request *req)
-{
-	struct spdk_nvmf_fabric_connect_cmd *connect = &req->cmd->connect_cmd;
-	struct spdk_nvmf_fabric_connect_data *connect_data = (struct spdk_nvmf_fabric_connect_data *)
-			req->data;
-	struct spdk_nvmf_fabric_connect_rsp *response = &req->rsp->connect_rsp;
-	struct spdk_nvmf_qpair *qpair = req->qpair;
-
-	spdk_nvmf_ctrlr_connect(qpair, connect, connect_data, response);
-
-	SPDK_DEBUGLOG(SPDK_TRACE_NVMF, "connect capsule response: cntlid = 0x%04x\n",
-		      response->status_code_specific.success.cntlid);
-
-	spdk_nvmf_request_complete(req);
-	return;
-}
-
 static void
 invalid_connect_response(struct spdk_nvmf_fabric_connect_rsp *rsp, uint8_t iattr, uint16_t ipo)
 {
@@ -195,9 +177,9 @@ nvmf_process_connect(struct spdk_nvmf_request *req)
 		return SPDK_NVMF_REQUEST_EXEC_STATUS_COMPLETE;
 	}
 
-	subsystem->connect_cb(subsystem->cb_ctx, req);
+	spdk_nvmf_ctrlr_connect(req->qpair, cmd, req->data, rsp);
 
-	return SPDK_NVMF_REQUEST_EXEC_STATUS_ASYNCHRONOUS;
+	return SPDK_NVMF_REQUEST_EXEC_STATUS_COMPLETE;
 }
 
 static spdk_nvmf_request_exec_status
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c b/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c
index a09237d24..851bf0450 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c
@@ -116,10 +116,7 @@ struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *
 spdk_nvmf_create_subsystem(struct spdk_nvmf_tgt *tgt,
 			   const char *nqn,
 			   enum spdk_nvmf_subtype type,
-			   uint32_t num_ns,
-			   void *cb_ctx,
-			   spdk_nvmf_subsystem_connect_fn connect_cb,
-			   spdk_nvmf_subsystem_disconnect_fn disconnect_cb)
+			   uint32_t num_ns)
 {
 	struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem	*subsystem;
 
@@ -145,9 +142,6 @@ spdk_nvmf_create_subsystem(struct spdk_nvmf_tgt *tgt,
 	subsystem->subtype = type;
 	subsystem->max_nsid = num_ns;
 	subsystem->num_allocated_nsid = 0;
-	subsystem->cb_ctx = cb_ctx;
-	subsystem->connect_cb = connect_cb;
-	subsystem->disconnect_cb = disconnect_cb;
 	snprintf(subsystem->subnqn, sizeof(subsystem->subnqn), "%s", nqn);
 	TAILQ_INIT(&subsystem->listeners);
 	TAILQ_INIT(&subsystem->hosts);
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/ctrlr_discovery.c/ctrlr_discovery_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/ctrlr_discovery.c/ctrlr_discovery_ut.c
index 9b2c31c13..0b2d52fa3 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/ctrlr_discovery.c/ctrlr_discovery_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/ctrlr_discovery.c/ctrlr_discovery_ut.c
@@ -168,8 +168,7 @@ test_discovery_log(void)
 
 	/* Add one subsystem and verify that the discovery log contains it */
 	subsystem = spdk_nvmf_create_subsystem(&tgt, "nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:subsystem1",
-					       SPDK_NVMF_SUBTYPE_NVME, 0,
-					       NULL, NULL, NULL);
+					       SPDK_NVMF_SUBTYPE_NVME, 0);
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(subsystem != NULL);
 
 	trid.trtype = SPDK_NVME_TRANSPORT_RDMA;
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c/subsystem_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c/subsystem_ut.c
index 8ef25c418..982bd200f 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c/subsystem_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c/subsystem_ut.c
@@ -202,8 +202,7 @@ nvmf_test_create_subsystem(void)
 	TAILQ_INIT(&tgt.subsystems);
 
 	strncpy(nqn, "nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:subsystem1", sizeof(nqn));
-	subsystem = spdk_nvmf_create_subsystem(&tgt, nqn, SPDK_NVMF_SUBTYPE_NVME, 0,
-					       NULL, NULL, NULL);
+	subsystem = spdk_nvmf_create_subsystem(&tgt, nqn, SPDK_NVMF_SUBTYPE_NVME, 0);
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(subsystem != NULL);
 	CU_ASSERT_STRING_EQUAL(subsystem->subnqn, nqn);
 	spdk_nvmf_delete_subsystem(subsystem);
@@ -213,8 +212,7 @@ nvmf_test_create_subsystem(void)
 	memset(nqn + strlen(nqn), 'a', 223 - strlen(nqn));
 	nqn[223] = '\0';
 	CU_ASSERT(strlen(nqn) == 223);
-	subsystem = spdk_nvmf_create_subsystem(&tgt, nqn, SPDK_NVMF_SUBTYPE_NVME, 0,
-					       NULL, NULL, NULL);
+	subsystem = spdk_nvmf_create_subsystem(&tgt, nqn, SPDK_NVMF_SUBTYPE_NVME, 0);
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(subsystem != NULL);
 	CU_ASSERT_STRING_EQUAL(subsystem->subnqn, nqn);
 	spdk_nvmf_delete_subsystem(subsystem);
@@ -224,8 +222,7 @@ nvmf_test_create_subsystem(void)
 	memset(nqn + strlen(nqn), 'a', 224 - strlen(nqn));
 	nqn[224] = '\0';
 	CU_ASSERT(strlen(nqn) == 224);
-	subsystem = spdk_nvmf_create_subsystem(&tgt, nqn, SPDK_NVMF_SUBTYPE_NVME, 0,
-					       NULL, NULL, NULL);
+	subsystem = spdk_nvmf_create_subsystem(&tgt, nqn, SPDK_NVMF_SUBTYPE_NVME, 0);
 	CU_ASSERT(subsystem == NULL);
 }