diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c
index eff2308c2..0dc4de741 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c
@@ -1076,9 +1076,11 @@ spdk_nvme_qpair_add_cmd_error_injection(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr,
 					uint8_t sct, uint8_t sc)
 {
 	struct nvme_error_cmd *entry, *cmd = NULL;
+	int rc = 0;
 
 	if (qpair == NULL) {
 		qpair = ctrlr->adminq;
+		nvme_robust_mutex_lock(&ctrlr->ctrlr_lock);
 	}
 
 	TAILQ_FOREACH(entry, &qpair->err_cmd_head, link) {
@@ -1091,7 +1093,8 @@ spdk_nvme_qpair_add_cmd_error_injection(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr,
 	if (cmd == NULL) {
 		cmd = spdk_zmalloc(sizeof(*cmd), 64, NULL, SPDK_ENV_LCORE_ID_ANY, SPDK_MALLOC_DMA);
 		if (!cmd) {
-			return -ENOMEM;
+			rc = -ENOMEM;
+			goto out;
 		}
 		TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&qpair->err_cmd_head, cmd, link);
 	}
@@ -1102,8 +1105,12 @@ spdk_nvme_qpair_add_cmd_error_injection(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr,
 	cmd->opc = opc;
 	cmd->status.sct = sct;
 	cmd->status.sc = sc;
+out:
+	if (nvme_qpair_is_admin_queue(qpair)) {
+		nvme_robust_mutex_unlock(&ctrlr->ctrlr_lock);
+	}
 
-	return 0;
+	return rc;
 }
 
 void
@@ -1115,17 +1122,20 @@ spdk_nvme_qpair_remove_cmd_error_injection(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr,
 
 	if (qpair == NULL) {
 		qpair = ctrlr->adminq;
+		nvme_robust_mutex_lock(&ctrlr->ctrlr_lock);
 	}
 
 	TAILQ_FOREACH_SAFE(cmd, &qpair->err_cmd_head, link, entry) {
 		if (cmd->opc == opc) {
 			TAILQ_REMOVE(&qpair->err_cmd_head, cmd, link);
 			spdk_free(cmd);
-			return;
+			break;
 		}
 	}
 
-	return;
+	if (nvme_qpair_is_admin_queue(qpair)) {
+		nvme_robust_mutex_unlock(&ctrlr->ctrlr_lock);
+	}
 }
 
 uint16_t
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c/nvme_qpair_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c/nvme_qpair_ut.c
index aeea8c8eb..6fb41146d 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c/nvme_qpair_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c/nvme_qpair_ut.c
@@ -445,11 +445,17 @@ test_nvme_qpair_add_cmd_error_injection(void)
 {
 	struct spdk_nvme_qpair qpair = {};
 	struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr ctrlr = {};
+	pthread_mutexattr_t attr;
 	int rc;
 
 	prepare_submit_request_test(&qpair, &ctrlr);
 	ctrlr.adminq = &qpair;
 
+	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(pthread_mutexattr_init(&attr) == 0);
+	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(pthread_mutexattr_settype(&attr, PTHREAD_MUTEX_RECURSIVE) == 0);
+	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(pthread_mutex_init(&ctrlr.ctrlr_lock, &attr) == 0);
+	pthread_mutexattr_destroy(&attr);
+
 	/* Admin error injection at submission path */
 	MOCK_CLEAR(spdk_zmalloc);
 	rc = spdk_nvme_qpair_add_cmd_error_injection(&ctrlr, NULL,
@@ -498,6 +504,7 @@ test_nvme_qpair_add_cmd_error_injection(void)
 
 	CU_ASSERT(TAILQ_EMPTY(&qpair.err_cmd_head));
 
+	pthread_mutex_destroy(&ctrlr.ctrlr_lock);
 	cleanup_submit_request_test(&qpair);
 }