diff --git a/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c b/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
index 0ec48b361..c52a2bea7 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
@@ -462,8 +462,8 @@ poll_group_update_subsystem(struct spdk_nvmf_poll_group *group,
 
 		/* Initialize new channels */
 		for (i = old_num_channels; i < new_num_channels; i++) {
-			ns = &subsystem->ns[i];
-			if (ns->allocated) {
+			ns = subsystem->ns[i];
+			if (ns) {
 				sgroup->channels[i] = spdk_bdev_get_io_channel(ns->desc);
 			} else {
 				sgroup->channels[i] = NULL;
@@ -497,8 +497,8 @@ poll_group_update_subsystem(struct spdk_nvmf_poll_group *group,
 
 		/* Initialize new channels */
 		for (i = old_num_channels; i < new_num_channels; i++) {
-			ns = &subsystem->ns[i];
-			if (ns->allocated) {
+			ns = subsystem->ns[i];
+			if (ns) {
 				sgroup->channels[i] = spdk_bdev_get_io_channel(ns->desc);
 			} else {
 				sgroup->channels[i] = NULL;
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/nvmf_internal.h b/lib/nvmf/nvmf_internal.h
index 83c9d2548..7e1f4262d 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/nvmf_internal.h
+++ b/lib/nvmf/nvmf_internal.h
@@ -139,7 +139,6 @@ struct spdk_nvmf_ns {
 	struct spdk_bdev *bdev;
 	struct spdk_bdev_desc *desc;
 	uint32_t id;
-	bool allocated;
 };
 
 struct spdk_nvmf_qpair {
@@ -194,8 +193,8 @@ struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem {
 
 	char sn[SPDK_NVME_CTRLR_SN_LEN + 1];
 
-	/* Array of namespaces of size max_nsid indexed by nsid - 1 */
-	struct spdk_nvmf_ns			*ns;
+	/* Array of pointers to namespaces of size max_nsid indexed by nsid - 1 */
+	struct spdk_nvmf_ns			**ns;
 	uint32_t 				max_nsid;
 	uint32_t				num_allocated_nsid;
 
@@ -249,19 +248,12 @@ struct spdk_nvmf_ctrlr *spdk_nvmf_subsystem_get_ctrlr(struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem
 static inline struct spdk_nvmf_ns *
 _spdk_nvmf_subsystem_get_ns(struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *subsystem, uint32_t nsid)
 {
-	struct spdk_nvmf_ns *ns;
-
 	/* NOTE: This implicitly also checks for 0, since 0 - 1 wraps around to UINT32_MAX. */
 	if (spdk_unlikely(nsid - 1 >= subsystem->max_nsid)) {
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	ns = &subsystem->ns[nsid - 1];
-	if (!ns->allocated) {
-		return NULL;
-	}
-
-	return ns;
+	return subsystem->ns[nsid - 1];
 }
 
 static inline bool
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c b/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c
index dd9cf3fb5..12f6a8527 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ spdk_nvmf_subsystem_create(struct spdk_nvmf_tgt *tgt,
 	TAILQ_INIT(&subsystem->ctrlrs);
 
 	if (num_ns != 0) {
-		subsystem->ns = calloc(num_ns, sizeof(struct spdk_nvmf_ns));
+		subsystem->ns = calloc(num_ns, sizeof(struct spdk_nvmf_ns *));
 		if (subsystem->ns == NULL) {
 			SPDK_ERRLOG("Namespace memory allocation failed\n");
 			free(subsystem);
@@ -313,12 +313,12 @@ spdk_nvmf_subsystem_destroy(struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *subsystem)
 		spdk_nvmf_ctrlr_destruct(ctrlr);
 	}
 
-	for (ns = spdk_nvmf_subsystem_get_first_ns(subsystem); ns != NULL;
-	     ns = spdk_nvmf_subsystem_get_next_ns(subsystem, ns)) {
-		if (ns->bdev == NULL) {
-			continue;
-		}
-		spdk_bdev_close(ns->desc);
+	ns = spdk_nvmf_subsystem_get_first_ns(subsystem);
+	while (ns != NULL) {
+		struct spdk_nvmf_ns *next_ns = spdk_nvmf_subsystem_get_next_ns(subsystem, ns);
+
+		spdk_nvmf_subsystem_remove_ns(subsystem, ns->id);
+		ns = next_ns;
 	}
 
 	free(subsystem->ns);
@@ -781,13 +781,15 @@ spdk_nvmf_subsystem_remove_ns(struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *subsystem, uint32_t ns
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	ns = &subsystem->ns[nsid - 1];
-	if (ns->allocated == false) {
+	ns = subsystem->ns[nsid - 1];
+	if (!ns) {
 		return -1;
 	}
 
+	subsystem->ns[nsid - 1] = NULL;
+
 	spdk_bdev_close(ns->desc);
-	ns->allocated = false;
+	free(ns);
 	subsystem->num_allocated_nsid--;
 
 	return 0;
@@ -836,7 +838,7 @@ spdk_nvmf_subsystem_add_ns(struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *subsystem, struct spdk_bd
 
 	if (nsid > subsystem->max_nsid ||
 	    (nsid == 0 && subsystem->num_allocated_nsid == subsystem->max_nsid)) {
-		struct spdk_nvmf_ns *new_ns_array;
+		struct spdk_nvmf_ns **new_ns_array;
 		uint32_t new_max_nsid;
 
 		if (nsid > subsystem->max_nsid) {
@@ -850,14 +852,14 @@ spdk_nvmf_subsystem_add_ns(struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *subsystem, struct spdk_bd
 			return 0;
 		}
 
-		new_ns_array = realloc(subsystem->ns, sizeof(struct spdk_nvmf_ns) * new_max_nsid);
+		new_ns_array = realloc(subsystem->ns, sizeof(struct spdk_nvmf_ns *) * new_max_nsid);
 		if (new_ns_array == NULL) {
 			SPDK_ERRLOG("Memory allocation error while resizing namespace array.\n");
 			return 0;
 		}
 
 		memset(new_ns_array + subsystem->max_nsid, 0,
-		       sizeof(struct spdk_nvmf_ns) * (new_max_nsid - subsystem->max_nsid));
+		       sizeof(struct spdk_nvmf_ns *) * (new_max_nsid - subsystem->max_nsid));
 		subsystem->ns = new_ns_array;
 		subsystem->max_nsid = new_max_nsid;
 	}
@@ -882,8 +884,12 @@ spdk_nvmf_subsystem_add_ns(struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *subsystem, struct spdk_bd
 		}
 	}
 
-	ns = &subsystem->ns[nsid - 1];
-	memset(ns, 0, sizeof(*ns));
+	ns = calloc(1, sizeof(*ns));
+	if (ns == NULL) {
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("Namespace allocation failed\n");
+		return 0;
+	}
+
 	ns->bdev = bdev;
 	ns->id = nsid;
 	ns->subsystem = subsystem;
@@ -891,9 +897,10 @@ spdk_nvmf_subsystem_add_ns(struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *subsystem, struct spdk_bd
 	if (rc != 0) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("Subsystem %s: bdev %s cannot be opened, error=%d\n",
 			    subsystem->subnqn, spdk_bdev_get_name(bdev), rc);
+		free(ns);
 		return 0;
 	}
-	ns->allocated = true;
+	subsystem->ns[nsid - 1] = ns;
 
 	SPDK_DEBUGLOG(SPDK_LOG_NVMF, "Subsystem %s: bdev %s assigned nsid %" PRIu32 "\n",
 		      spdk_nvmf_subsystem_get_nqn(subsystem),
@@ -917,7 +924,7 @@ spdk_nvmf_subsystem_get_next_allocated_nsid(struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *subsyste
 	}
 
 	for (nsid = prev_nsid + 1; nsid <= subsystem->max_nsid; nsid++) {
-		if (subsystem->ns[nsid - 1].allocated) {
+		if (subsystem->ns[nsid - 1]) {
 			return nsid;
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/test/nvmf/fio/fio.sh b/test/nvmf/fio/fio.sh
index 2054477a4..6b7a63e70 100755
--- a/test/nvmf/fio/fio.sh
+++ b/test/nvmf/fio/fio.sh
@@ -35,7 +35,11 @@ bdevs="$bdevs $($rpc_py construct_malloc_bdev $MALLOC_BDEV_SIZE $MALLOC_BLOCK_SI
 
 modprobe -v nvme-rdma
 
-$rpc_py construct_nvmf_subsystem nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode1 "trtype:RDMA traddr:$NVMF_FIRST_TARGET_IP trsvcid:4420" "" -a -s SPDK00000000000001 -n "$bdevs"
+$rpc_py construct_nvmf_subsystem nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode1 "trtype:RDMA traddr:$NVMF_FIRST_TARGET_IP trsvcid:4420" "" -a -s SPDK00000000000001
+
+for bdev in $bdevs; do
+	$rpc_py nvmf_subsystem_add_ns nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode1 "$bdev"
+done
 
 nvme connect -t rdma -n "nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode1" -a "$NVMF_FIRST_TARGET_IP" -s "$NVMF_PORT"
 
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c/subsystem_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c/subsystem_ut.c
index 5eaf61c56..406d30475 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c/subsystem_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c/subsystem_ut.c
@@ -211,13 +211,15 @@ test_spdk_nvmf_subsystem_add_ns(void)
 	CU_ASSERT(nsid == 1);
 	CU_ASSERT(subsystem.max_nsid == 1);
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(subsystem.ns != NULL);
-	CU_ASSERT(subsystem.ns[nsid - 1].bdev == &bdev1);
+	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(subsystem.ns[nsid - 1] != NULL);
+	CU_ASSERT(subsystem.ns[nsid - 1]->bdev == &bdev1);
 
 	/* Request a specific NSID */
 	nsid = spdk_nvmf_subsystem_add_ns(&subsystem, &bdev2, 5);
 	CU_ASSERT(nsid == 5);
 	CU_ASSERT(subsystem.max_nsid == 5);
-	CU_ASSERT(subsystem.ns[nsid - 1].bdev == &bdev2);
+	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(subsystem.ns[nsid - 1] != NULL);
+	CU_ASSERT(subsystem.ns[nsid - 1]->bdev == &bdev2);
 
 	/* Request an NSID that is already in use */
 	nsid = spdk_nvmf_subsystem_add_ns(&subsystem, &bdev2, 5);
@@ -229,6 +231,9 @@ test_spdk_nvmf_subsystem_add_ns(void)
 	CU_ASSERT(nsid == 0);
 	CU_ASSERT(subsystem.max_nsid == 5);
 
+	spdk_nvmf_subsystem_remove_ns(&subsystem, 1);
+	spdk_nvmf_subsystem_remove_ns(&subsystem, 5);
+
 	free(subsystem.ns);
 }