diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h b/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
index d59e7fefc..bb94f4383 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
@@ -506,7 +506,6 @@ int	nvme_qpair_construct(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair, uint16_t id,
 			     uint16_t num_entries,
 			     struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr,
 			     enum spdk_nvme_qprio qprio);
-void	nvme_qpair_destroy(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair);
 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,
@@ -558,7 +557,6 @@ struct	spdk_nvme_ctrlr *nvme_attach(enum spdk_nvme_transport transport,
 	int nvme_ ## name ## _ctrlr_delete_io_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair); \
 	int nvme_ ## name ## _ctrlr_reinit_io_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair); \
 	int nvme_ ## name ## _qpair_construct(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair); \
-	int nvme_ ## name ## _qpair_destroy(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair); \
 	int nvme_ ## name ## _qpair_enable(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair); \
 	int nvme_ ## name ## _qpair_disable(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair); \
 	int nvme_ ## name ## _qpair_reset(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair); \
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie.c
index ae0ea68e9..7958c9de3 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie.c
@@ -181,6 +181,8 @@ struct nvme_pcie_qpair {
 	uint64_t cpl_bus_addr;
 };
 
+static int nvme_pcie_qpair_destroy(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair);
+
 __thread struct nvme_pcie_ctrlr *g_thread_mmio_ctrlr = NULL;
 static volatile uint16_t g_signal_lock;
 static bool g_sigset = false;
@@ -660,13 +662,9 @@ int
 nvme_pcie_ctrlr_destruct(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr)
 {
 	struct nvme_pcie_ctrlr *pctrlr = nvme_pcie_ctrlr(ctrlr);
-	struct nvme_pcie_qpair *pqpair;
 
 	if (ctrlr->adminq) {
-		pqpair = nvme_pcie_qpair(ctrlr->adminq);
-
-		nvme_qpair_destroy(ctrlr->adminq);
-		spdk_free(pqpair);
+		nvme_pcie_qpair_destroy(ctrlr->adminq);
 	}
 
 	nvme_pcie_ctrlr_free_bars(pctrlr);
@@ -1043,7 +1041,7 @@ nvme_pcie_admin_qpair_destroy(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
 	nvme_pcie_admin_qpair_abort_aers(qpair);
 }
 
-int
+static int
 nvme_pcie_qpair_destroy(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
 {
 	struct nvme_pcie_qpair *pqpair = nvme_pcie_qpair(qpair);
@@ -1053,17 +1051,16 @@ nvme_pcie_qpair_destroy(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
 	}
 	if (pqpair->cmd && !pqpair->sq_in_cmb) {
 		spdk_free(pqpair->cmd);
-		pqpair->cmd = NULL;
 	}
 	if (pqpair->cpl) {
 		spdk_free(pqpair->cpl);
-		pqpair->cpl = NULL;
 	}
 	if (pqpair->tr) {
 		spdk_free(pqpair->tr);
-		pqpair->tr = NULL;
 	}
 
+	spdk_free(pqpair);
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -1313,7 +1310,7 @@ nvme_pcie_ctrlr_create_io_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, uint16_t qid,
 
 	rc = nvme_qpair_construct(qpair, qid, num_entries, ctrlr, qprio);
 	if (rc != 0) {
-		spdk_free(pqpair);
+		nvme_pcie_qpair_destroy(qpair);
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
@@ -1321,8 +1318,7 @@ nvme_pcie_ctrlr_create_io_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, uint16_t qid,
 
 	if (rc != 0) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("I/O queue creation failed\n");
-		nvme_qpair_destroy(qpair);
-		spdk_free(pqpair);
+		nvme_pcie_qpair_destroy(qpair);
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
@@ -1338,7 +1334,6 @@ nvme_pcie_ctrlr_reinit_io_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, struct spdk_nvme_
 int
 nvme_pcie_ctrlr_delete_io_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
 {
-	struct nvme_pcie_qpair *pqpair = nvme_pcie_qpair(qpair);
 	struct nvme_completion_poll_status status;
 	int rc;
 
@@ -1370,8 +1365,7 @@ nvme_pcie_ctrlr_delete_io_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, struct spdk_nvme_
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	nvme_qpair_destroy(qpair);
-	spdk_free(pqpair);
+	nvme_pcie_qpair_destroy(qpair);
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c
index 0e1196d86..e35c7a20d 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c
@@ -358,19 +358,12 @@ nvme_qpair_construct(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair, uint16_t id,
 
 	if (nvme_transport_qpair_construct(qpair)) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("qpair_construct() failed\n");
-		nvme_qpair_destroy(qpair);
 		return -1;
 	}
 
 	return 0;
 }
 
-void
-nvme_qpair_destroy(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
-{
-	nvme_transport_qpair_destroy(qpair);
-}
-
 int
 nvme_qpair_submit_request(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair, struct nvme_request *req)
 {
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c
index 377f2b58c..e61c0a289 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c
@@ -127,6 +127,8 @@ struct spdk_nvme_rdma_rsp {
 	struct ibv_sge		recv_sgl;
 };
 
+static int nvme_rdma_qpair_destroy(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair);
+
 static inline struct nvme_rdma_qpair *
 nvme_rdma_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
 {
@@ -649,7 +651,7 @@ nvme_rdma_qpair_connect(struct nvme_rdma_qpair *rqpair)
 
 	rc = nvmf_cm_construct(rqpair);
 	if (rc < 0) {
-		return nvme_transport_qpair_destroy(&rqpair->qpair);
+		return nvme_rdma_qpair_destroy(&rqpair->qpair);
 	}
 
 	ctrlr = rqpair->qpair.ctrlr;
@@ -699,7 +701,7 @@ nvme_rdma_qpair_connect(struct nvme_rdma_qpair *rqpair)
 
 	return 0;
 err:
-	return nvme_transport_qpair_destroy(&rqpair->qpair);;
+	return nvme_rdma_qpair_destroy(&rqpair->qpair);
 }
 
 static struct spdk_nvme_rdma_req *
@@ -914,21 +916,16 @@ _nvme_rdma_ctrlr_create_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr,
 	rc = nvme_rdma_qpair_connect(rqpair);
 	if (rc < 0) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("Failed to connect through rdma qpair\n");
-		goto err;
+		return rc;
 	}
 
 	rc = nvme_rdma_qpair_fabric_connect(rqpair);
 	if (rc < 0) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("Failed to send/receive the qpair fabric request\n");
-		goto err;
+		return rc;
 	}
 
 	return 0;
-
-err:
-	nvme_transport_qpair_destroy(&rqpair->qpair);
-	return rc;
-
 }
 
 
@@ -968,15 +965,15 @@ nvme_rdma_ctrlr_create_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, uint16_t qid,
 	}
 
 	rc = _nvme_rdma_ctrlr_create_qpair(ctrlr, qpair);
-
 	if (rc < 0) {
+		nvme_rdma_qpair_destroy(qpair);
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
 	return qpair;
 }
 
-int
+static int
 nvme_rdma_qpair_destroy(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
 {
 	struct nvme_rdma_qpair *rqpair;
@@ -1213,6 +1210,10 @@ nvme_rdma_ctrlr_destruct(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr)
 {
 	struct nvme_rdma_ctrlr *rctrlr = nvme_rdma_ctrlr(ctrlr);
 
+	if (ctrlr->adminq) {
+		nvme_rdma_qpair_destroy(ctrlr->adminq);
+	}
+
 	free(rctrlr);
 
 	return 0;
@@ -1299,8 +1300,7 @@ nvme_rdma_qpair_submit_request(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair,
 int
 nvme_rdma_ctrlr_delete_io_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
 {
-
-	return nvme_transport_qpair_destroy(qpair);
+	return nvme_rdma_qpair_destroy(qpair);
 }
 
 int
@@ -1318,6 +1318,7 @@ nvme_rdma_qpair_construct(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
 	rqpair = nvme_rdma_qpair(qpair);
 	rqpair->rdma_reqs = calloc(qpair->num_entries, sizeof(struct spdk_nvme_rdma_req));
 	if (rqpair->rdma_reqs == NULL) {
+		nvme_rdma_qpair_destroy(qpair);
 		return -1;
 	}
 
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_transport.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_transport.c
index 6ae5cb7b8..856d7b4dd 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_transport.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_transport.c
@@ -172,12 +172,6 @@ nvme_transport_qpair_construct(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
 	NVME_TRANSPORT_CALL(qpair->transport, qpair_construct, (qpair));
 }
 
-int
-nvme_transport_qpair_destroy(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
-{
-	NVME_TRANSPORT_CALL(qpair->transport, qpair_destroy, (qpair));
-}
-
 int
 nvme_transport_qpair_enable(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
 {
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 039cb71b9..bb7bc6895 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
@@ -248,11 +248,6 @@ nvme_qpair_disable(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
 {
 }
 
-void
-nvme_qpair_destroy(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
-{
-}
-
 void
 nvme_qpair_enable(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
 {
diff --git a/test/lib/nvme/unit/nvme_qpair_c/nvme_qpair_ut.c b/test/lib/nvme/unit/nvme_qpair_c/nvme_qpair_ut.c
index eb38cd9ea..f6c8cb710 100644
--- a/test/lib/nvme/unit/nvme_qpair_c/nvme_qpair_ut.c
+++ b/test/lib/nvme/unit/nvme_qpair_c/nvme_qpair_ut.c
@@ -189,12 +189,6 @@ nvme_transport_qpair_construct(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int
-nvme_transport_qpair_destroy(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
-{
-	return 0;
-}
-
 int
 nvme_transport_qpair_enable(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
 {
@@ -243,7 +237,6 @@ prepare_submit_request_test(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair,
 static void
 cleanup_submit_request_test(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
 {
-	nvme_qpair_destroy(qpair);
 }
 
 #if 0 /* TODO: move to PCIe-specific unit test */