diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
index 7d319bc24..e9a799fa8 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
@@ -1134,8 +1134,8 @@ nvme_ctrlr_state_string(enum nvme_ctrlr_state state)
 	switch (state) {
 	case NVME_CTRLR_STATE_INIT_DELAY:
 		return "delay init";
-	case NVME_CTRLR_STATE_INIT:
-		return "init";
+	case NVME_CTRLR_STATE_CHECK_EN:
+		return "check en";
 	case NVME_CTRLR_STATE_DISABLE_WAIT_FOR_READY_1:
 		return "disable and wait for CSTS.RDY = 1";
 	case NVME_CTRLR_STATE_DISABLE_WAIT_FOR_READY_0:
@@ -3124,7 +3124,7 @@ nvme_ctrlr_process_init(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr)
 		}
 		break;
 
-	case NVME_CTRLR_STATE_INIT:
+	case NVME_CTRLR_STATE_CHECK_EN: /* synonymous with NVME_CTRLR_STATE_INIT */
 		/* Begin the hardware initialization by making sure the controller is disabled. */
 		if (cc.bits.en) {
 			NVME_CTRLR_DEBUGLOG(ctrlr, "CC.EN = 1\n");
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h b/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
index 495ff9424..e3b4ed8db 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
@@ -518,9 +518,14 @@ enum nvme_ctrlr_state {
 	NVME_CTRLR_STATE_INIT_DELAY,
 
 	/**
-	 * Controller has not been initialized yet.
+	 * Check EN to prepare for controller initialization.
 	 */
-	NVME_CTRLR_STATE_INIT,
+	NVME_CTRLR_STATE_CHECK_EN,
+
+	/**
+	 * Controller has not started initialized yet.
+	 */
+	NVME_CTRLR_STATE_INIT = NVME_CTRLR_STATE_CHECK_EN,
 
 	/**
 	 * Waiting for CSTS.RDY to transition from 0 to 1 so that CC.EN may be set to 0.