diff --git a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
index 1d1af4551..aca37e2e4 100644
--- a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
+++ b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
@@ -4323,7 +4323,6 @@ struct discovery_entry_ctx {
 
 struct discovery_ctx {
 	char					*name;
-	spdk_bdev_nvme_start_discovery_fn	start_cb_fn;
 	spdk_bdev_nvme_stop_discovery_fn	stop_cb_fn;
 	void					*cb_ctx;
 	struct spdk_nvme_probe_ctx		*probe_ctx;
@@ -4606,20 +4605,6 @@ discovery_aer_cb(void *arg, const struct spdk_nvme_cpl *cpl)
 	get_discovery_log_page(ctx);
 }
 
-static void
-start_discovery_done(void *cb_ctx)
-{
-	struct discovery_ctx *ctx = cb_ctx;
-
-	DISCOVERY_INFOLOG(ctx, "start discovery done\n");
-	ctx->start_cb_fn(ctx->cb_ctx, ctx->rc);
-	if (ctx->rc != 0) {
-		DISCOVERY_ERRLOG(ctx, "could not connect to discovery ctrlr\n");
-		TAILQ_REMOVE(&g_discovery_ctxs, ctx, tailq);
-		free_discovery_ctx(ctx);
-	}
-}
-
 static void
 discovery_attach_cb(void *cb_ctx, const struct spdk_nvme_transport_id *trid,
 		    struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, const struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr_opts *opts)
@@ -4644,7 +4629,9 @@ discovery_poller(void *arg)
 	if (ctx->detach) {
 		bool detach_done = false;
 
-		if (ctx->detach_ctx == NULL) {
+		if (ctx->ctrlr == NULL) {
+			detach_done = true;
+		} else if (ctx->detach_ctx == NULL) {
 			rc = spdk_nvme_detach_async(ctx->ctrlr, &ctx->detach_ctx);
 			if (rc != 0) {
 				DISCOVERY_ERRLOG(ctx, "could not detach discovery ctrlr\n");
@@ -4662,12 +4649,16 @@ discovery_poller(void *arg)
 			ctx->stop_cb_fn(ctx->cb_ctx);
 			free_discovery_ctx(ctx);
 		}
+	} else if (ctx->probe_ctx == NULL && ctx->ctrlr == NULL) {
+		ctx->probe_ctx = spdk_nvme_connect_async(&ctx->trid, &ctx->drv_opts, discovery_attach_cb);
+		if (ctx->probe_ctx == NULL) {
+			DISCOVERY_ERRLOG(ctx, "could not start discovery connect\n");
+		}
 	} else if (ctx->probe_ctx) {
 		rc = spdk_nvme_probe_poll_async(ctx->probe_ctx);
 		if (rc != -EAGAIN) {
 			DISCOVERY_INFOLOG(ctx, "discovery ctrlr connected\n");
 			ctx->rc = rc;
-			spdk_thread_send_msg(ctx->calling_thread, start_discovery_done, ctx);
 			if (rc == 0) {
 				get_discovery_log_page(ctx);
 			}
@@ -4691,9 +4682,7 @@ start_discovery_poller(void *arg)
 int
 bdev_nvme_start_discovery(struct spdk_nvme_transport_id *trid,
 			  const char *base_name,
-			  struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr_opts *drv_opts,
-			  spdk_bdev_nvme_start_discovery_fn cb_fn,
-			  void *cb_ctx)
+			  struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr_opts *drv_opts)
 {
 	struct discovery_ctx *ctx;
 
@@ -4707,8 +4696,6 @@ bdev_nvme_start_discovery(struct spdk_nvme_transport_id *trid,
 		free_discovery_ctx(ctx);
 		return -ENOMEM;
 	}
-	ctx->start_cb_fn = cb_fn;
-	ctx->cb_ctx = cb_ctx;
 	memcpy(&ctx->drv_opts, drv_opts, sizeof(*drv_opts));
 	ctx->calling_thread = spdk_get_thread();
 	TAILQ_INIT(&ctx->nvm_entry_ctxs);
@@ -4721,13 +4708,6 @@ bdev_nvme_start_discovery(struct spdk_nvme_transport_id *trid,
 		free_discovery_ctx(ctx);
 		return -ENOMEM;
 	}
-	ctx->probe_ctx = spdk_nvme_connect_async(&ctx->trid, &ctx->drv_opts, discovery_attach_cb);
-	if (ctx->probe_ctx == NULL) {
-		DISCOVERY_ERRLOG(ctx, "could not start discovery connect\n");
-		free_discovery_ctx(ctx);
-		return -EIO;
-	}
-
 	spdk_thread_send_msg(g_bdev_nvme_init_thread, start_discovery_poller, ctx);
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.h b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.h
index 51d93b220..21b36248a 100644
--- a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.h
+++ b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.h
@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@ extern bool g_bdev_nvme_module_finish;
 #define NVME_MAX_CONTROLLERS 1024
 
 typedef void (*spdk_bdev_create_nvme_fn)(void *ctx, size_t bdev_count, int rc);
-typedef void (*spdk_bdev_nvme_start_discovery_fn)(void *ctx, int rc);
 typedef void (*spdk_bdev_nvme_stop_discovery_fn)(void *ctx);
 
 struct nvme_ctrlr_opts {
@@ -283,8 +282,7 @@ int bdev_nvme_create(struct spdk_nvme_transport_id *trid,
 		     bool multipath);
 
 int bdev_nvme_start_discovery(struct spdk_nvme_transport_id *trid, const char *base_name,
-			      struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr_opts *drv_opts,
-			      spdk_bdev_nvme_start_discovery_fn cb_fn, void *cb_ctx);
+			      struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr_opts *drv_opts);
 int bdev_nvme_stop_discovery(const char *name, spdk_bdev_nvme_stop_discovery_fn cb_fn,
 			     void *cb_ctx);
 
diff --git a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme_rpc.c b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme_rpc.c
index 85f198730..150d7988b 100644
--- a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme_rpc.c
+++ b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme_rpc.c
@@ -1634,25 +1634,6 @@ struct rpc_bdev_nvme_start_discovery_ctx {
 	struct spdk_jsonrpc_request *request;
 };
 
-static void
-rpc_bdev_nvme_start_discovery_done(void *cb_ctx, int rc)
-{
-	struct rpc_bdev_nvme_start_discovery_ctx *ctx = cb_ctx;
-	struct spdk_jsonrpc_request *request = ctx->request;
-
-	if (rc < 0) {
-		spdk_jsonrpc_send_error_response(request, SPDK_JSONRPC_ERROR_INVALID_PARAMS, "Invalid parameters");
-		free_rpc_bdev_nvme_start_discovery(&ctx->req);
-		free(ctx);
-		return;
-	}
-
-	spdk_jsonrpc_send_bool_response(ctx->request, rc == 0);
-
-	free_rpc_bdev_nvme_start_discovery(&ctx->req);
-	free(ctx);
-}
-
 static void
 rpc_bdev_nvme_start_discovery(struct spdk_jsonrpc_request *request,
 			      const struct spdk_json_val *params)
@@ -1731,15 +1712,13 @@ rpc_bdev_nvme_start_discovery(struct spdk_jsonrpc_request *request,
 	}
 
 	ctx->request = request;
-	rc = bdev_nvme_start_discovery(&trid, ctx->req.name, &ctx->req.opts,
-				       rpc_bdev_nvme_start_discovery_done, ctx);
-	if (rc) {
+	rc = bdev_nvme_start_discovery(&trid, ctx->req.name, &ctx->req.opts);
+	if (rc == 0) {
+		spdk_jsonrpc_send_bool_response(ctx->request, true);
+	} else {
 		spdk_jsonrpc_send_error_response(request, rc, spdk_strerror(-rc));
-		goto cleanup;
 	}
 
-	return;
-
 cleanup:
 	free_rpc_bdev_nvme_start_discovery(&ctx->req);
 	free(ctx);