diff --git a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
index be741ec67..979277a64 100644
--- a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
+++ b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
@@ -318,7 +318,17 @@ bdev_nvme_destruct(void *ctx)
 
 	nvme_ns->bdev = NULL;
 
-	nvme_bdev_ns_detach(nvme_ns);
+	pthread_mutex_lock(&nvme_ns->ctrlr->mutex);
+
+	assert(nvme_ns->ref > 0);
+	nvme_ns->ref--;
+	if (nvme_ns->ref == 0) {
+		pthread_mutex_unlock(&nvme_ns->ctrlr->mutex);
+
+		nvme_bdev_ctrlr_destruct(nvme_ns->ctrlr);
+	} else {
+		pthread_mutex_unlock(&nvme_ns->ctrlr->mutex);
+	}
 
 	free(nvme_disk->disk.name);
 	free(nvme_disk);
diff --git a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_ocssd.c b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_ocssd.c
index c742836f6..e4326dead 100644
--- a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_ocssd.c
+++ b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_ocssd.c
@@ -216,7 +216,17 @@ bdev_ocssd_destruct(void *ctx)
 
 	nvme_ns->bdev = NULL;
 
-	nvme_bdev_ns_detach(nvme_ns);
+	pthread_mutex_lock(&nvme_ns->ctrlr->mutex);
+
+	assert(nvme_ns->ref > 0);
+	nvme_ns->ref--;
+	if (nvme_ns->ref == 0) {
+		pthread_mutex_unlock(&nvme_ns->ctrlr->mutex);
+
+		nvme_bdev_ctrlr_destruct(nvme_ns->ctrlr);
+	} else {
+		pthread_mutex_unlock(&nvme_ns->ctrlr->mutex);
+	}
 
 	bdev_ocssd_free_bdev(ocssd_bdev);
 
diff --git a/module/bdev/nvme/common.c b/module/bdev/nvme/common.c
index bc6a5166a..ee4e3bf16 100644
--- a/module/bdev/nvme/common.c
+++ b/module/bdev/nvme/common.c
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ nvme_bdev_ctrlr_destruct(struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr *nvme_bdev_ctrlr)
 }
 
 void
-nvme_bdev_ns_detach(struct nvme_bdev_ns *nvme_ns)
+nvme_ctrlr_depopulate_namespace_done(struct nvme_bdev_ns *nvme_ns)
 {
 	struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr *nvme_bdev_ctrlr = nvme_ns->ctrlr;
 
@@ -202,11 +202,5 @@ nvme_bdev_ns_detach(struct nvme_bdev_ns *nvme_ns)
 	}
 	pthread_mutex_unlock(&nvme_bdev_ctrlr->mutex);
 
-	nvme_bdev_ctrlr_destruct(nvme_ns->ctrlr);
-}
-
-void
-nvme_ctrlr_depopulate_namespace_done(struct nvme_bdev_ns *nvme_ns)
-{
-	nvme_bdev_ns_detach(nvme_ns);
+	nvme_bdev_ctrlr_destruct(nvme_bdev_ctrlr);
 }
diff --git a/module/bdev/nvme/common.h b/module/bdev/nvme/common.h
index 0ea802cf2..50784e328 100644
--- a/module/bdev/nvme/common.h
+++ b/module/bdev/nvme/common.h
@@ -177,7 +177,6 @@ void nvme_bdev_dump_trid_json(const struct spdk_nvme_transport_id *trid,
 
 void nvme_bdev_ctrlr_destruct(struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr *nvme_bdev_ctrlr);
 void nvme_bdev_ctrlr_do_destruct(void *ctx);
-void nvme_bdev_ns_detach(struct nvme_bdev_ns *nvme_ns);
 
 static inline bool
 bdev_nvme_find_io_path(struct nvme_bdev *nbdev, struct nvme_io_channel *nvme_ch,