diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
index d10a07b33..a05e2ee13 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
@@ -528,6 +528,13 @@ spdk_nvme_ctrlr_free_io_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
 		return 0;
 	}
 
+	if (qpair->poll_group && qpair->poll_group->in_completion_context) {
+		/* Same as above, but in a poll group. */
+		qpair->poll_group->num_qpairs_to_delete++;
+		qpair->delete_after_completion_context = 1;
+		return 0;
+	}
+
 	if (qpair->poll_group) {
 		spdk_nvme_poll_group_remove(qpair->poll_group->group, qpair);
 	}
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h b/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
index 2d76a83c6..5f6bafd53 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
@@ -433,6 +433,8 @@ struct spdk_nvme_transport_poll_group {
 	STAILQ_HEAD(, spdk_nvme_qpair)			connected_qpairs;
 	STAILQ_HEAD(, spdk_nvme_qpair)			disconnected_qpairs;
 	STAILQ_ENTRY(spdk_nvme_transport_poll_group)	link;
+	bool						in_completion_context;
+	uint64_t					num_qpairs_to_delete;
 };
 
 struct spdk_nvme_ns {
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_transport.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_transport.c
index 884655976..b06204537 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_transport.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_transport.c
@@ -453,8 +453,39 @@ int64_t
 nvme_transport_poll_group_process_completions(struct spdk_nvme_transport_poll_group *tgroup,
 		uint32_t completions_per_qpair, spdk_nvme_disconnected_qpair_cb disconnected_qpair_cb)
 {
-	return tgroup->transport->ops.poll_group_process_completions(tgroup, completions_per_qpair,
+	struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair;
+	int64_t rc;
+
+	tgroup->in_completion_context = true;
+	rc = tgroup->transport->ops.poll_group_process_completions(tgroup, completions_per_qpair,
 			disconnected_qpair_cb);
+	tgroup->in_completion_context = false;
+
+	if (spdk_unlikely(tgroup->num_qpairs_to_delete > 0)) {
+		/* deleted qpairs are more likely to be in the disconnected qpairs list. */
+		STAILQ_FOREACH(qpair, &tgroup->disconnected_qpairs, poll_group_stailq) {
+			if (spdk_unlikely(qpair->delete_after_completion_context)) {
+				spdk_nvme_ctrlr_free_io_qpair(qpair);
+				if (--tgroup->num_qpairs_to_delete == 0) {
+					return rc;
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
+		STAILQ_FOREACH(qpair, &tgroup->connected_qpairs, poll_group_stailq) {
+			if (spdk_unlikely(qpair->delete_after_completion_context)) {
+				spdk_nvme_ctrlr_free_io_qpair(qpair);
+				if (--tgroup->num_qpairs_to_delete == 0) {
+					return rc;
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		/* Just in case. */
+		SPDK_DEBUGLOG(SPDK_LOG_NVME, "Mismatch between qpairs to delete and poll group number.\n");
+		tgroup->num_qpairs_to_delete = 0;
+	}
+
+	return rc;
 }
 
 int