diff --git a/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_tgt.c b/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_tgt.c
index 329c591eb..7cdb8a8f8 100644
--- a/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_tgt.c
+++ b/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_tgt.c
@@ -64,15 +64,9 @@ static struct spdk_poller *g_acceptor_poller = NULL;
 static void
 acceptor_poller_unregistered_event(struct spdk_event *event)
 {
-	int rc;
-
 	spdk_nvmf_acceptor_fini();
 	spdk_nvmf_transport_fini();
 	spdk_shutdown_nvmf_subsystems();
-
-	rc = spdk_nvmf_check_pools();
-
-	spdk_app_stop(rc);
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c b/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c
index 0a78c6ce7..fd087e30f 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 #include "spdk/nvmf_spec.h"
 
 static TAILQ_HEAD(, spdk_nvmf_subsystem) g_subsystems = TAILQ_HEAD_INITIALIZER(g_subsystems);
+bool g_subsystems_shutdown;
 
 struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *
 nvmf_find_subsystem(const char *subnqn, const char *hostnqn)
@@ -195,6 +196,10 @@ nvmf_delete_subsystem_poller_unreg(struct spdk_event *event)
 	TAILQ_REMOVE(&g_subsystems, subsystem, entries);
 
 	free(subsystem);
+
+	if (g_subsystems_shutdown && TAILQ_EMPTY(&g_subsystems)) {
+		spdk_app_stop(spdk_nvmf_check_pools());
+	}
 }
 
 int
@@ -336,6 +341,7 @@ spdk_shutdown_nvmf_subsystems(void)
 {
 	struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *subsystem, *subsys_tmp;
 
+	g_subsystems_shutdown = true;
 	TAILQ_FOREACH_SAFE(subsystem, &g_subsystems, entries, subsys_tmp) {
 		nvmf_delete_subsystem(subsystem);
 	}
diff --git a/test/lib/nvmf/subsystem/subsystem_ut.c b/test/lib/nvmf/subsystem/subsystem_ut.c
index b914fe53f..7a7b904a8 100644
--- a/test/lib/nvmf/subsystem/subsystem_ut.c
+++ b/test/lib/nvmf/subsystem/subsystem_ut.c
@@ -47,6 +47,17 @@ SPDK_LOG_REGISTER_TRACE_FLAG("nvmf", SPDK_TRACE_NVMF)
 
 struct spdk_nvmf_globals g_nvmf_tgt;
 
+void
+spdk_app_stop(int rc)
+{
+}
+
+int
+spdk_nvmf_check_pools(void)
+{
+	return 0;
+}
+
 uint32_t
 spdk_app_get_current_core(void)
 {