diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
index 5d7e570aa..0627bb67e 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
@@ -3793,6 +3793,11 @@ nvme_ctrlr_process_init(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr)
 			 */
 			nvme_qpair_abort_queued_reqs(ctrlr->adminq, 0);
 			break;
+		case NVME_QPAIR_DISCONNECTING:
+			assert(ctrlr->adminq->async == true);
+			break;
+		case NVME_QPAIR_DISCONNECTED:
+		/* fallthrough */
 		default:
 			nvme_ctrlr_set_state(ctrlr, NVME_CTRLR_STATE_ERROR, NVME_TIMEOUT_INFINITE);
 			break;
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_transport.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_transport.c
index cb1c0728e..29cc2e037 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_transport.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_transport.c
@@ -514,6 +514,12 @@ nvme_transport_ctrlr_connect_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, struct spdk_nv
 	return 0;
 err:
 	nvme_transport_connect_qpair_fail(qpair, NULL);
+	if (nvme_qpair_get_state(qpair) == NVME_QPAIR_DISCONNECTING) {
+		assert(qpair->async == true);
+		/* Let the caller to poll the qpair until it is actually disconnected. */
+		return 0;
+	}
+
 	return rc;
 }