diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c
index 5c9895712..bdc483351 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c
@@ -364,7 +364,6 @@ nvme_rdma_req_put(struct nvme_rdma_qpair *rqpair, struct spdk_nvme_rdma_req *rdm
 {
 	rdma_req->completion_flags = 0;
 	rdma_req->req = NULL;
-	TAILQ_REMOVE(&rqpair->outstanding_reqs, rdma_req, link);
 	TAILQ_INSERT_HEAD(&rqpair->free_reqs, rdma_req, link);
 }
 
@@ -2054,6 +2053,7 @@ nvme_rdma_qpair_submit_request(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair,
 
 	if (nvme_rdma_req_init(rqpair, req, rdma_req)) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("nvme_rdma_req_init() failed\n");
+		TAILQ_REMOVE(&rqpair->outstanding_reqs, rdma_req, link);
 		nvme_rdma_req_put(rqpair, rdma_req);
 		return -1;
 	}
@@ -2097,6 +2097,7 @@ nvme_rdma_qpair_abort_reqs(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair, uint32_t dnr)
 		assert(rdma_req->req != NULL);
 		req = rdma_req->req;
 
+		TAILQ_REMOVE(&rqpair->outstanding_reqs, rdma_req, link);
 		nvme_rdma_req_complete(req, &cpl);
 		nvme_rdma_req_put(rqpair, rdma_req);
 	}
@@ -2144,6 +2145,7 @@ nvme_rdma_qpair_check_timeout(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
 static inline int
 nvme_rdma_request_ready(struct nvme_rdma_qpair *rqpair, struct spdk_nvme_rdma_req *rdma_req)
 {
+	TAILQ_REMOVE(&rqpair->outstanding_reqs, rdma_req, link);
 	nvme_rdma_req_complete(rdma_req->req, &rqpair->rsps[rdma_req->rsp_idx].cpl);
 	nvme_rdma_req_put(rqpair, rdma_req);
 	return nvme_rdma_post_recv(rqpair, rdma_req->rsp_idx);
@@ -2398,12 +2400,14 @@ nvme_rdma_admin_qpair_abort_aers(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
 	cpl.status.sct = SPDK_NVME_SCT_GENERIC;
 
 	TAILQ_FOREACH_SAFE(rdma_req, &rqpair->outstanding_reqs, link, tmp) {
-		if (rdma_req->req->cmd.opc != SPDK_NVME_OPC_ASYNC_EVENT_REQUEST) {
-			continue;
-		}
 		assert(rdma_req->req != NULL);
 		req = rdma_req->req;
 
+		if (req->cmd.opc != SPDK_NVME_OPC_ASYNC_EVENT_REQUEST) {
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		TAILQ_REMOVE(&rqpair->outstanding_reqs, rdma_req, link);
 		nvme_rdma_req_complete(req, &cpl);
 		nvme_rdma_req_put(rqpair, rdma_req);
 	}