diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie.c
index 5711e7b2d..14f563532 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie.c
@@ -932,6 +932,8 @@ static struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *nvme_pcie_ctrlr_construct(const struct spdk_nvme_
 	pctrlr->devhandle = devhandle;
 	pctrlr->ctrlr.opts = *opts;
 	pctrlr->ctrlr.trid = *trid;
+	pctrlr->ctrlr.opts.admin_queue_size = spdk_max(pctrlr->ctrlr.opts.admin_queue_size,
+					      NVME_PCIE_MIN_ADMIN_QUEUE_SIZE);
 
 	rc = nvme_ctrlr_construct(&pctrlr->ctrlr);
 	if (rc != 0) {
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie_internal.h b/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie_internal.h
index 663cccf82..e3fb862fd 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie_internal.h
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie_internal.h
@@ -49,6 +49,9 @@
 
 #define NVME_MAX_PRP_LIST_ENTRIES	(503)
 
+/* Minimum admin queue size */
+#define NVME_PCIE_MIN_ADMIN_QUEUE_SIZE	(256)
+
 /* PCIe transport extensions for spdk_nvme_ctrlr */
 struct nvme_pcie_ctrlr {
 	struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr ctrlr;
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_vfio_user.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_vfio_user.c
index bdf52c534..721913413 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_vfio_user.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_vfio_user.c
@@ -239,6 +239,8 @@ static struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *
 	pctrlr->ctrlr.opts = *opts;
 	pctrlr->ctrlr.trid = *trid;
 	pctrlr->ctrlr.opts.use_cmb_sqs = false;
+	pctrlr->ctrlr.opts.admin_queue_size = spdk_max(pctrlr->ctrlr.opts.admin_queue_size,
+					      NVME_PCIE_MIN_ADMIN_QUEUE_SIZE);
 
 	ret = nvme_ctrlr_construct(&pctrlr->ctrlr);
 	if (ret != 0) {