diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h b/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
index a49960534..c86674ee9 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
@@ -535,7 +535,6 @@ void	nvme_qpair_enable(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair);
 void	nvme_qpair_disable(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair);
 int	nvme_qpair_submit_request(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair,
 				  struct nvme_request *req);
-void	nvme_qpair_fail(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair);
 
 int	nvme_ns_construct(struct spdk_nvme_ns *ns, uint16_t id,
 			  struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr);
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie.c
index 739ac17fe..9ddfb2f97 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie.c
@@ -1866,11 +1866,6 @@ nvme_pcie_qpair_process_completions(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair, uint32_t max_
 	uint32_t		 num_completions = 0;
 	struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr	*ctrlr = qpair->ctrlr;
 
-	if (qpair->ctrlr->is_failed) {
-		nvme_qpair_fail(qpair);
-		return 0;
-	}
-
 	if (!nvme_pcie_qpair_check_enabled(qpair)) {
 		/*
 		 * qpair is not enabled, likely because a controller reset is
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c
index 34c3a53a3..52d7a5141 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@
 
 #include "nvme_internal.h"
 
+static void nvme_qpair_fail(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair);
+
 struct nvme_string {
 	uint16_t	value;
 	const char 	*str;
@@ -336,6 +338,11 @@ nvme_qpair_manual_complete_request(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair,
 int32_t
 spdk_nvme_qpair_process_completions(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair, uint32_t max_completions)
 {
+	if (qpair->ctrlr->is_failed) {
+		nvme_qpair_fail(qpair);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
 	return nvme_transport_qpair_process_completions(qpair, max_completions);
 }
 
@@ -421,7 +428,7 @@ nvme_qpair_disable(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
 	nvme_transport_qpair_disable(qpair);
 }
 
-void
+static void
 nvme_qpair_fail(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
 {
 	struct nvme_request		*req;
diff --git a/test/lib/nvme/unit/nvme_ctrlr_c/nvme_ctrlr_ut.c b/test/lib/nvme/unit/nvme_ctrlr_c/nvme_ctrlr_ut.c
index 698c1ec47..6b3b70e6e 100644
--- a/test/lib/nvme/unit/nvme_ctrlr_c/nvme_ctrlr_ut.c
+++ b/test/lib/nvme/unit/nvme_ctrlr_c/nvme_ctrlr_ut.c
@@ -211,11 +211,6 @@ spdk_nvme_ctrlr_cmd_get_log_page(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, uint8_t log_page
 	return 0;
 }
 
-void
-nvme_qpair_fail(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
-{
-}
-
 int
 nvme_qpair_submit_request(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair, struct nvme_request *req)
 {
diff --git a/test/lib/nvme/unit/nvme_pcie_c/nvme_pcie_ut.c b/test/lib/nvme/unit/nvme_pcie_c/nvme_pcie_ut.c
index 15ba7ff9a..61f61fecb 100644
--- a/test/lib/nvme/unit/nvme_pcie_c/nvme_pcie_ut.c
+++ b/test/lib/nvme/unit/nvme_pcie_c/nvme_pcie_ut.c
@@ -65,11 +65,6 @@ struct io_request {
 	bool	invalid_second_addr;
 };
 
-void
-nvme_qpair_fail(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
-{
-}
-
 void
 nvme_ctrlr_fail(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, bool hot_remove)
 {