diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme.c b/lib/nvme/nvme.c
index c82792886..0f4706b0b 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme.c
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ spdk_nvme_detach(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr)
 	nvme_ctrlr_proc_put_ref(ctrlr);
 
 	if (nvme_ctrlr_get_ref_count(ctrlr) == 0) {
-		nvme_io_msg_ctrlr_stop(ctrlr, NULL, true);
+		nvme_io_msg_ctrlr_detach(ctrlr);
 		if (nvme_ctrlr_shared(ctrlr)) {
 			TAILQ_REMOVE(&g_spdk_nvme_driver->shared_attached_ctrlrs, ctrlr, tailq);
 		} else {
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_cuse.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_cuse.c
index 18d36bb25..5c808202f 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_cuse.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_cuse.c
@@ -778,14 +778,14 @@ spdk_nvme_cuse_register(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, const char *dev_path)
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
-	rc = nvme_io_msg_ctrlr_start(ctrlr, &cuse_nvme_io_msg_producer);
+	rc = nvme_io_msg_ctrlr_register(ctrlr, &cuse_nvme_io_msg_producer);
 	if (rc) {
 		return rc;
 	}
 
 	rc = nvme_cuse_start(ctrlr, dev_path);
 	if (rc) {
-		nvme_io_msg_ctrlr_stop(ctrlr, &cuse_nvme_io_msg_producer, false);
+		nvme_io_msg_ctrlr_unregister(ctrlr, &cuse_nvme_io_msg_producer);
 	}
 
 	return rc;
@@ -796,7 +796,7 @@ spdk_nvme_cuse_unregister(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr)
 {
 	nvme_cuse_stop(ctrlr);
 
-	nvme_io_msg_ctrlr_stop(ctrlr, &cuse_nvme_io_msg_producer, false);
+	nvme_io_msg_ctrlr_unregister(ctrlr, &cuse_nvme_io_msg_producer);
 }
 
 char *
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_io_msg.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_io_msg.c
index c224da979..41a1aee62 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_io_msg.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_io_msg.c
@@ -107,7 +107,8 @@ spdk_nvme_io_msg_process(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr)
 }
 
 int
-nvme_io_msg_ctrlr_start(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, struct nvme_io_msg_producer *io_msg_producer)
+nvme_io_msg_ctrlr_register(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr,
+			   struct nvme_io_msg_producer *io_msg_producer)
 {
 	if (io_msg_producer == NULL) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("io_msg_producer cannot be NULL\n");
@@ -144,26 +145,12 @@ nvme_io_msg_ctrlr_start(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, struct nvme_io_msg_produc
 }
 
 void
-nvme_io_msg_ctrlr_stop(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, struct nvme_io_msg_producer *io_msg_producer,
-		       bool shutdown)
+nvme_io_msg_ctrlr_detach(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr)
 {
-	if (STAILQ_EMPTY(&ctrlr->io_producers) && shutdown) {
-		/* Shutdown path with no producers registered = io msg ctrlr not started */
-		return;
+	if (ctrlr->external_io_msgs) {
+		spdk_ring_free(ctrlr->external_io_msgs);
 	}
 
-	if (io_msg_producer != NULL) {
-		STAILQ_REMOVE(&ctrlr->io_producers, io_msg_producer, nvme_io_msg_producer, link);
-	}
-
-	if (!STAILQ_EMPTY(&ctrlr->io_producers) && !shutdown) {
-		/* There are still some registered producers */
-		return;
-	}
-
-	assert(ctrlr->external_io_msgs);
-	spdk_ring_free(ctrlr->external_io_msgs);
-
 	if (ctrlr->external_io_msgs_qpair) {
 		spdk_nvme_ctrlr_free_io_qpair(ctrlr->external_io_msgs_qpair);
 		ctrlr->external_io_msgs_qpair = NULL;
@@ -171,3 +158,16 @@ nvme_io_msg_ctrlr_stop(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, struct nvme_io_msg_produce
 
 	pthread_mutex_destroy(&ctrlr->external_io_msgs_lock);
 }
+
+void
+nvme_io_msg_ctrlr_unregister(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr,
+			     struct nvme_io_msg_producer *io_msg_producer)
+{
+	if (io_msg_producer != NULL) {
+		STAILQ_REMOVE(&ctrlr->io_producers, io_msg_producer, nvme_io_msg_producer, link);
+	}
+
+	if (STAILQ_EMPTY(&ctrlr->io_producers)) {
+		nvme_io_msg_ctrlr_detach(ctrlr);
+	}
+}
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_io_msg.h b/lib/nvme/nvme_io_msg.h
index 69bf17fe5..60e8c54d0 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_io_msg.h
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_io_msg.h
@@ -78,9 +78,10 @@ int nvme_io_msg_send(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, uint32_t nsid, spdk_nvme_io_
  */
 int spdk_nvme_io_msg_process(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr);
 
-int nvme_io_msg_ctrlr_start(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr,
-			    struct nvme_io_msg_producer *io_msg_producer);
-void nvme_io_msg_ctrlr_stop(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr,
-			    struct nvme_io_msg_producer *io_msg_producer, bool shutdown);
+int nvme_io_msg_ctrlr_register(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr,
+			       struct nvme_io_msg_producer *io_msg_producer);
+void nvme_io_msg_ctrlr_unregister(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr,
+				  struct nvme_io_msg_producer *io_msg_producer);
+void nvme_io_msg_ctrlr_detach(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr);
 
 #endif /* SPDK_NVME_IO_MSG_H_ */
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme.c/nvme_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme.c/nvme_ut.c
index 0bb854c0d..ef31a3580 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme.c/nvme_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme.c/nvme_ut.c
@@ -60,8 +60,7 @@ DEFINE_STUB(nvme_transport_ctrlr_construct, struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *,
 	    (const struct spdk_nvme_transport_id *trid,
 	     const struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr_opts *opts,
 	     void *devhandle), NULL);
-DEFINE_STUB_V(nvme_io_msg_ctrlr_stop, (struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr,
-				       struct nvme_io_msg_producer *io_msg_producer, bool shutdown));
+DEFINE_STUB_V(nvme_io_msg_ctrlr_detach, (struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr));
 
 static bool ut_destruct_called = false;
 void