diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c
index 8c349e01b..5b800dbb3 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c
@@ -1088,6 +1088,14 @@ nvme_rdma_connect_established(struct nvme_rdma_qpair *rqpair, int ret)
 		return -1;
 	}
 
+	ret = nvme_rdma_alloc_reqs(rqpair);
+	SPDK_DEBUGLOG(nvme, "rc =%d\n", ret);
+	if (ret) {
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("Unable to allocate rqpair RDMA requests\n");
+		return -1;
+	}
+	SPDK_DEBUGLOG(nvme, "RDMA requests allocated\n");
+
 	ret = nvme_rdma_register_reqs(rqpair);
 	SPDK_DEBUGLOG(nvme, "rc =%d\n", ret);
 	if (ret) {
@@ -1096,6 +1104,14 @@ nvme_rdma_connect_established(struct nvme_rdma_qpair *rqpair, int ret)
 	}
 	SPDK_DEBUGLOG(nvme, "RDMA requests registered\n");
 
+	ret = nvme_rdma_alloc_rsps(rqpair);
+	SPDK_DEBUGLOG(nvme, "rc =%d\n", ret);
+	if (ret < 0) {
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("Unable to allocate rqpair RDMA responses\n");
+		return -1;
+	}
+	SPDK_DEBUGLOG(nvme, "RDMA responses allocated\n");
+
 	ret = nvme_rdma_register_rsps(rqpair);
 	SPDK_DEBUGLOG(nvme, "rc =%d\n", ret);
 	if (ret < 0) {
@@ -1776,25 +1792,6 @@ nvme_rdma_ctrlr_create_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr,
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	rc = nvme_rdma_alloc_reqs(rqpair);
-	SPDK_DEBUGLOG(nvme, "rc =%d\n", rc);
-	if (rc) {
-		SPDK_ERRLOG("Unable to allocate rqpair RDMA requests\n");
-		spdk_free(rqpair);
-		return NULL;
-	}
-	SPDK_DEBUGLOG(nvme, "RDMA requests allocated\n");
-
-	rc = nvme_rdma_alloc_rsps(rqpair);
-	SPDK_DEBUGLOG(nvme, "rc =%d\n", rc);
-	if (rc < 0) {
-		SPDK_ERRLOG("Unable to allocate rqpair RDMA responses\n");
-		nvme_rdma_free_reqs(rqpair);
-		spdk_free(rqpair);
-		return NULL;
-	}
-	SPDK_DEBUGLOG(nvme, "RDMA responses allocated\n");
-
 	return qpair;
 }
 
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c/nvme_rdma_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c/nvme_rdma_ut.c
index 565687487..8aa37c19a 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c/nvme_rdma_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c/nvme_rdma_ut.c
@@ -551,12 +551,7 @@ test_nvme_rdma_ctrlr_create_qpair(void)
 	CU_ASSERT(qpair == &rqpair->qpair);
 	CU_ASSERT(rqpair->num_entries == qsize - 1);
 	CU_ASSERT(rqpair->delay_cmd_submit == false);
-	CU_ASSERT(rqpair->rsp_sgls != NULL);
-	CU_ASSERT(rqpair->rsp_recv_wrs != NULL);
-	CU_ASSERT(rqpair->rsps != NULL);
 
-	nvme_rdma_free_reqs(rqpair);
-	nvme_rdma_free_rsps(rqpair);
 	spdk_free(rqpair);
 	rqpair = NULL;
 
@@ -568,12 +563,7 @@ test_nvme_rdma_ctrlr_create_qpair(void)
 	CU_ASSERT(qpair != NULL);
 	rqpair = SPDK_CONTAINEROF(qpair, struct nvme_rdma_qpair, qpair);
 	CU_ASSERT(rqpair->num_entries == qsize - 1);
-	CU_ASSERT(rqpair->rsp_sgls != NULL);
-	CU_ASSERT(rqpair->rsp_recv_wrs != NULL);
-	CU_ASSERT(rqpair->rsps != NULL);
 
-	nvme_rdma_free_reqs(rqpair);
-	nvme_rdma_free_rsps(rqpair);
 	spdk_free(rqpair);
 	rqpair = NULL;
 
@@ -773,9 +763,6 @@ test_nvme_rdma_ctrlr_construct(void)
 	rqpair = SPDK_CONTAINEROF(ctrlr->adminq, struct nvme_rdma_qpair, qpair);
 	CU_ASSERT(rqpair->num_entries == opts.admin_queue_size - 1);
 	CU_ASSERT(rqpair->delay_cmd_submit == false);
-	CU_ASSERT(rqpair->rsp_sgls != NULL);
-	CU_ASSERT(rqpair->rsp_recv_wrs != NULL);
-	CU_ASSERT(rqpair->rsps != NULL);
 	MOCK_CLEAR(rdma_create_event_channel);
 
 	/* Hardcode the trtype, because nvme_qpair_init() is stub function. */