diff --git a/lib/event/subsystems/nvmf/nvmf_tgt.c b/lib/event/subsystems/nvmf/nvmf_tgt.c
index 940967919..bb35dcce5 100644
--- a/lib/event/subsystems/nvmf/nvmf_tgt.c
+++ b/lib/event/subsystems/nvmf/nvmf_tgt.c
@@ -137,6 +137,36 @@ spdk_nvmf_get_core_rr(void)
 	return core;
 }
 
+static void
+nvmf_tgt_remove_host_trid(struct spdk_nvmf_qpair *qpair)
+{
+	struct spdk_nvme_transport_id trid_to_remove;
+	struct nvmf_tgt_host_trid *trid = NULL, *tmp_trid = NULL;
+
+	if (g_spdk_nvmf_tgt_conf->conn_sched != CONNECT_SCHED_HOST_IP) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	if (spdk_nvmf_qpair_get_peer_trid(qpair, &trid_to_remove) != 0) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	TAILQ_FOREACH_SAFE(trid, &g_nvmf_tgt_host_trids, link, tmp_trid) {
+		if (trid && !strncmp(trid->host_trid.traddr,
+				     trid_to_remove.traddr, SPDK_NVMF_TRADDR_MAX_LEN + 1)) {
+			trid->ref--;
+			if (trid->ref == 0) {
+				TAILQ_REMOVE(&g_nvmf_tgt_host_trids, trid, link);
+				free(trid);
+			}
+
+			break;
+		}
+	}
+
+	return;
+}
+
 static uint32_t
 nvmf_tgt_get_qpair_core(struct spdk_nvmf_qpair *qpair)
 {
@@ -190,15 +220,28 @@ new_qpair(struct spdk_nvmf_qpair *qpair)
 	struct spdk_event *event;
 	struct nvmf_tgt_poll_group *pg;
 	uint32_t core;
+	uint32_t attempts;
 
 	if (g_tgt_state != NVMF_TGT_RUNNING) {
 		spdk_nvmf_qpair_disconnect(qpair, NULL, NULL);
 		return;
 	}
 
-	core = nvmf_tgt_get_qpair_core(qpair);
+	for (attempts = 0; attempts < g_num_poll_groups; attempts++) {
+		core = nvmf_tgt_get_qpair_core(qpair);
+		pg = &g_poll_groups[core];
+		if (pg->group != NULL) {
+			break;
+		} else {
+			nvmf_tgt_remove_host_trid(qpair);
+		}
+	}
 
-	pg = &g_poll_groups[core];
+	if (attempts == g_num_poll_groups) {
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("No poll groups exist.\n");
+		spdk_nvmf_qpair_disconnect(qpair, NULL, NULL);
+		return;
+	}
 
 	event = spdk_event_allocate(core, nvmf_tgt_poll_group_add, qpair, pg);
 	spdk_event_call(event);
@@ -228,8 +271,10 @@ nvmf_tgt_destroy_poll_group(void *ctx)
 
 	pg = &g_poll_groups[spdk_env_get_current_core()];
 
-	spdk_nvmf_poll_group_destroy(pg->group);
-	pg->group = NULL;
+	if (pg->group) {
+		spdk_nvmf_poll_group_destroy(pg->group);
+		pg->group = NULL;
+	}
 }
 
 static void
@@ -247,7 +292,6 @@ nvmf_tgt_create_poll_group(void *ctx)
 	pg = &g_poll_groups[spdk_env_get_current_core()];
 
 	pg->group = spdk_nvmf_poll_group_create(g_spdk_nvmf_tgt);
-	assert(pg->group != NULL);
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c b/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
index 2bd04f8c5..32539f531 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ SPDK_LOG_REGISTER_COMPONENT("nvmf", SPDK_LOG_NVMF)
 #define SPDK_NVMF_DEFAULT_IO_UNIT_SIZE 131072
 
 typedef void (*nvmf_qpair_disconnect_cpl)(void *ctx, int status);
+static void spdk_nvmf_tgt_destroy_poll_group(void *io_device, void *ctx_buf);
 
 /* supplied to a single call to nvmf_qpair_disconnect */
 struct nvmf_qpair_disconnect_ctx {
@@ -149,7 +150,10 @@ spdk_nvmf_tgt_create_poll_group(void *io_device, void *ctx_buf)
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		spdk_nvmf_poll_group_add_subsystem(group, subsystem, NULL, NULL);
+		if (spdk_nvmf_poll_group_add_subsystem(group, subsystem, NULL, NULL) != 0) {
+			spdk_nvmf_tgt_destroy_poll_group(io_device, ctx_buf);
+			return -1;
+		}
 	}
 
 	group->poller = spdk_poller_register(spdk_nvmf_poll_group_poll, group, 0);
@@ -963,7 +967,7 @@ spdk_nvmf_poll_group_update_subsystem(struct spdk_nvmf_poll_group *group,
 	return poll_group_update_subsystem(group, subsystem);
 }
 
-void
+int
 spdk_nvmf_poll_group_add_subsystem(struct spdk_nvmf_poll_group *group,
 				   struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *subsystem,
 				   spdk_nvmf_poll_group_mod_done cb_fn, void *cb_arg)
@@ -975,7 +979,7 @@ spdk_nvmf_poll_group_add_subsystem(struct spdk_nvmf_poll_group *group,
 
 	rc = poll_group_update_subsystem(group, subsystem);
 	if (rc) {
-		sgroup->state = SPDK_NVMF_SUBSYSTEM_INACTIVE;
+		spdk_nvmf_poll_group_remove_subsystem(group, subsystem, NULL, NULL);
 		goto fini;
 	}
 
@@ -984,6 +988,8 @@ fini:
 	if (cb_fn) {
 		cb_fn(cb_arg, rc);
 	}
+
+	return rc;
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/nvmf_internal.h b/lib/nvmf/nvmf_internal.h
index c505cf150..c9c7bf366 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/nvmf_internal.h
+++ b/lib/nvmf/nvmf_internal.h
@@ -263,9 +263,9 @@ int spdk_nvmf_poll_group_add_transport(struct spdk_nvmf_poll_group *group,
 				       struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport);
 int spdk_nvmf_poll_group_update_subsystem(struct spdk_nvmf_poll_group *group,
 		struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *subsystem);
-void spdk_nvmf_poll_group_add_subsystem(struct spdk_nvmf_poll_group *group,
-					struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *subsystem,
-					spdk_nvmf_poll_group_mod_done cb_fn, void *cb_arg);
+int spdk_nvmf_poll_group_add_subsystem(struct spdk_nvmf_poll_group *group,
+				       struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *subsystem,
+				       spdk_nvmf_poll_group_mod_done cb_fn, void *cb_arg);
 void spdk_nvmf_poll_group_remove_subsystem(struct spdk_nvmf_poll_group *group,
 		struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *subsystem, spdk_nvmf_poll_group_mod_done cb_fn, void *cb_arg);
 void spdk_nvmf_poll_group_pause_subsystem(struct spdk_nvmf_poll_group *group,
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/ctrlr_discovery.c/ctrlr_discovery_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/ctrlr_discovery.c/ctrlr_discovery_ut.c
index 3e5c3a04b..f86bdf2bd 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/ctrlr_discovery.c/ctrlr_discovery_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/ctrlr_discovery.c/ctrlr_discovery_ut.c
@@ -179,11 +179,12 @@ spdk_nvmf_poll_group_update_subsystem(struct spdk_nvmf_poll_group *group,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-void
+int
 spdk_nvmf_poll_group_add_subsystem(struct spdk_nvmf_poll_group *group,
 				   struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *subsystem,
 				   spdk_nvmf_poll_group_mod_done cb_fn, void *cb_arg)
 {
+	return 0;
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c/subsystem_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c/subsystem_ut.c
index 8a821b663..1b92efd26 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c/subsystem_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c/subsystem_ut.c
@@ -135,11 +135,12 @@ spdk_nvmf_poll_group_update_subsystem(struct spdk_nvmf_poll_group *group,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-void
+int
 spdk_nvmf_poll_group_add_subsystem(struct spdk_nvmf_poll_group *group,
 				   struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *subsystem,
 				   spdk_nvmf_poll_group_mod_done cb_fn, void *cb_arg)
 {
+	return 0;
 }
 
 void