diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
index 072c55b72..7a1674e4f 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 static int nvme_ctrlr_construct_and_submit_aer(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr,
 		struct nvme_async_event_request *aer);
 static int nvme_ctrlr_identify_ns_async(struct spdk_nvme_ns *ns);
+static int nvme_ctrlr_identify_id_desc_async(struct spdk_nvme_ns *ns);
 
 static int
 nvme_ctrlr_get_cc(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, union spdk_nvme_cc_register *cc)
@@ -640,7 +641,9 @@ nvme_ctrlr_state_string(enum nvme_ctrlr_state state)
 	case NVME_CTRLR_STATE_WAIT_FOR_IDENTIFY_NS:
 		return "wait for identify ns";
 	case NVME_CTRLR_STATE_IDENTIFY_ID_DESCS:
-		return "identify id descriptor";
+		return "identify namespace id descriptors";
+	case NVME_CTRLR_STATE_WAIT_FOR_IDENTIFY_ID_DESCS:
+		return "wait for identify namespace id descriptors";
 	case NVME_CTRLR_STATE_CONFIGURE_AER:
 		return "configure AER";
 	case NVME_CTRLR_STATE_WAIT_FOR_CONFIGURE_AER:
@@ -1036,6 +1039,46 @@ nvme_ctrlr_identify_namespaces(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr)
 	return rc;
 }
 
+static void
+nvme_ctrlr_identify_id_desc_async_done(void *arg, const struct spdk_nvme_cpl *cpl)
+{
+	struct spdk_nvme_ns *ns = (struct spdk_nvme_ns *)arg;
+	struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr = ns->ctrlr;
+	uint32_t nsid;
+	int rc;
+
+	if (spdk_nvme_cpl_is_error(cpl)) {
+		nvme_ctrlr_set_state(ctrlr, NVME_CTRLR_STATE_CONFIGURE_AER, NVME_TIMEOUT_INFINITE);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	/* move on to the next active NS */
+	nsid = spdk_nvme_ctrlr_get_next_active_ns(ctrlr, ns->id);
+	ns = spdk_nvme_ctrlr_get_ns(ctrlr, nsid);
+	if (ns == NULL) {
+		nvme_ctrlr_set_state(ctrlr, NVME_CTRLR_STATE_CONFIGURE_AER, NVME_TIMEOUT_INFINITE);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	rc = nvme_ctrlr_identify_id_desc_async(ns);
+	if (rc) {
+		nvme_ctrlr_set_state(ctrlr, NVME_CTRLR_STATE_ERROR, NVME_TIMEOUT_INFINITE);
+	}
+}
+
+static int
+nvme_ctrlr_identify_id_desc_async(struct spdk_nvme_ns *ns)
+{
+	struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr = ns->ctrlr;
+
+	memset(ns->id_desc_list, 0, sizeof(ns->id_desc_list));
+
+	nvme_ctrlr_set_state(ctrlr, NVME_CTRLR_STATE_WAIT_FOR_IDENTIFY_ID_DESCS, NVME_TIMEOUT_INFINITE);
+	return nvme_ctrlr_cmd_identify(ns->ctrlr, SPDK_NVME_IDENTIFY_NS_ID_DESCRIPTOR_LIST,
+				       0, ns->id, ns->id_desc_list, sizeof(ns->id_desc_list),
+				       nvme_ctrlr_identify_id_desc_async_done, ns);
+}
+
 static int
 nvme_ctrlr_identify_id_desc_namespaces(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr)
 {
@@ -1043,19 +1086,27 @@ nvme_ctrlr_identify_id_desc_namespaces(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr)
 	struct spdk_nvme_ns *ns;
 	int rc;
 
-	for (nsid = spdk_nvme_ctrlr_get_first_active_ns(ctrlr);
-	     nsid != 0; nsid = spdk_nvme_ctrlr_get_next_active_ns(ctrlr, nsid)) {
-		ns = spdk_nvme_ctrlr_get_ns(ctrlr, nsid);
-		if (ns == NULL) {
-			continue;
-		}
-		rc = nvme_ctrlr_identify_id_desc(ns);
-		if (rc < 0) {
-			return rc;
-		}
+	if (ctrlr->vs.raw < SPDK_NVME_VERSION(1, 3, 0) ||
+	    (ctrlr->quirks & NVME_QUIRK_IDENTIFY_CNS)) {
+		SPDK_DEBUGLOG(SPDK_LOG_NVME, "Version < 1.3; not attempting to retrieve NS ID Descriptor List\n");
+		nvme_ctrlr_set_state(ctrlr, NVME_CTRLR_STATE_CONFIGURE_AER, NVME_TIMEOUT_INFINITE);
+		return 0;
 	}
 
-	return 0;
+	nsid = spdk_nvme_ctrlr_get_first_active_ns(ctrlr);
+	ns = spdk_nvme_ctrlr_get_ns(ctrlr, nsid);
+	if (ns == NULL) {
+		/* No active NS, move on to the next state */
+		nvme_ctrlr_set_state(ctrlr, NVME_CTRLR_STATE_CONFIGURE_AER, NVME_TIMEOUT_INFINITE);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	rc = nvme_ctrlr_identify_id_desc_async(ns);
+	if (rc) {
+		nvme_ctrlr_set_state(ctrlr, NVME_CTRLR_STATE_ERROR, NVME_TIMEOUT_INFINITE);
+	}
+
+	return rc;
 }
 
 static void
@@ -1952,6 +2003,10 @@ nvme_ctrlr_process_init(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr)
 		nvme_ctrlr_set_state(ctrlr, NVME_CTRLR_STATE_CONFIGURE_AER, NVME_TIMEOUT_INFINITE);
 		break;
 
+	case NVME_CTRLR_STATE_WAIT_FOR_IDENTIFY_ID_DESCS:
+		spdk_nvme_qpair_process_completions(ctrlr->adminq, 0);
+		break;
+
 	case NVME_CTRLR_STATE_CONFIGURE_AER:
 		rc = nvme_ctrlr_configure_aer(ctrlr);
 		break;
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h b/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
index c2c851c1d..10dc08ab6 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
@@ -469,10 +469,16 @@ enum nvme_ctrlr_state {
 	NVME_CTRLR_STATE_WAIT_FOR_IDENTIFY_NS,
 
 	/**
-	 * Get Identify Namespace Identification Descriptor.
+	 * Get Identify Namespace Identification Descriptors.
 	 */
 	NVME_CTRLR_STATE_IDENTIFY_ID_DESCS,
 
+	/**
+	 * Waiting for the Identify Namespace Identification
+	 * Descriptors to be completed.
+	 */
+	NVME_CTRLR_STATE_WAIT_FOR_IDENTIFY_ID_DESCS,
+
 	/**
 	 * Configure AER of the controller.
 	 */
@@ -807,7 +813,6 @@ int	nvme_qpair_submit_request(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair,
 				  struct nvme_request *req);
 
 int	nvme_ctrlr_identify_active_ns(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr);
-int	nvme_ctrlr_identify_id_desc(struct spdk_nvme_ns *ns);
 void	nvme_ns_set_identify_data(struct spdk_nvme_ns *ns);
 int	nvme_ns_construct(struct spdk_nvme_ns *ns, uint32_t id,
 			  struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr);
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_ns.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_ns.c
index 799d2dfea..b88bf1746 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_ns.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_ns.c
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ nvme_ctrlr_identify_ns(struct spdk_nvme_ns *ns)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int
+static int
 nvme_ctrlr_identify_id_desc(struct spdk_nvme_ns *ns)
 {
 	struct nvme_completion_poll_status      status;