diff --git a/lib/vhost/vhost_nvme.c b/lib/vhost/vhost_nvme.c
index 1701035ea..014be113c 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/vhost_nvme.c
+++ b/lib/vhost/vhost_nvme.c
@@ -150,10 +150,6 @@ static const struct spdk_vhost_dev_backend spdk_vhost_nvme_device_backend;
 static struct spdk_vhost_nvme_dev *
 to_nvme_dev(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev)
 {
-	if (vdev == NULL) {
-		return NULL;
-	}
-
 	if (vdev->backend != &spdk_vhost_nvme_device_backend) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("%s: not a vhost-nvme device\n", vdev->name);
 		return NULL;
@@ -886,6 +882,10 @@ spdk_vhost_nvme_start_device(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev, void *event_ctx)
 	struct spdk_vhost_nvme_ns *ns_dev;
 	uint32_t i;
 
+	if (nvme == NULL) {
+		return -1;
+	}
+
 	spdk_vhost_dev_mem_register(vdev);
 	nvme->mem = vdev->mem;
 
@@ -980,6 +980,10 @@ spdk_vhost_nvme_stop_device(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev, void *event_ctx)
 	struct spdk_vhost_nvme_dev *nvme = to_nvme_dev(vdev);
 	struct spdk_vhost_dev_destroy_ctx *destroy_ctx;
 
+	if (nvme == NULL) {
+		return -1;
+	}
+
 	free_task_pool(nvme);
 	SPDK_NOTICELOG("Stopping Device %u, Path %s\n", vdev->vid, vdev->path);
 
@@ -1010,6 +1014,10 @@ spdk_vhost_nvme_dump_config_json(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev, struct spdk_json_w
 	struct spdk_bdev *bdev;
 	uint32_t i;
 
+	if (nvme == NULL) {
+		return;
+	}
+
 	spdk_json_write_name(w, "namespaces");
 	spdk_json_write_object_begin(w);
 
@@ -1199,6 +1207,10 @@ spdk_vhost_nvme_dev_add_ns(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev, const char *bdev_name)
 	struct spdk_bdev *bdev;
 	int rc = -1;
 
+	if (nvme == NULL) {
+		return -1;
+	}
+
 	if (nvme->num_ns == MAX_NAMESPACE) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("Can't support %d Namespaces\n", nvme->num_ns);
 		return -1;