diff --git a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme_rpc.c b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme_rpc.c
index 3541b2e96..50e449fcc 100644
--- a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme_rpc.c
+++ b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme_rpc.c
@@ -390,6 +390,16 @@ rpc_bdev_nvme_attach_controller(struct spdk_jsonrpc_request *request,
 		/* This controller already exists. Verify the parameters match sufficiently. */
 		opts = spdk_nvme_ctrlr_get_opts(ctrlr->ctrlr);
 
+		if (strncmp(trid.subnqn,
+			    spdk_nvme_ctrlr_get_transport_id(ctrlr->ctrlr)->subnqn,
+			    SPDK_NVMF_NQN_MAX_LEN) != 0) {
+			/* Different SUBNQN is not allowed when specifying the same controller name. */
+			spdk_jsonrpc_send_error_response_fmt(request, -EINVAL,
+							     "A controller named %s already exists, but uses a different subnqn (%s)\n",
+							     ctx->req.name, spdk_nvme_ctrlr_get_transport_id(ctrlr->ctrlr)->subnqn);
+			goto cleanup;
+		}
+
 		if (strncmp(ctx->req.opts.hostnqn, opts->hostnqn, SPDK_NVMF_NQN_MAX_LEN) != 0) {
 			/* Different HOSTNQN is not allowed when specifying the same controller name. */
 			spdk_jsonrpc_send_error_response_fmt(request, -EINVAL,
diff --git a/test/nvmf/host/multicontroller.sh b/test/nvmf/host/multicontroller.sh
index 86c077341..3a8b077b5 100755
--- a/test/nvmf/host/multicontroller.sh
+++ b/test/nvmf/host/multicontroller.sh
@@ -24,12 +24,21 @@ nvmftestinit
 nvmfappstart -m 0xF
 
 $rpc_py nvmf_create_transport $NVMF_TRANSPORT_OPTS -u 8192
+
 $rpc_py bdev_malloc_create $MALLOC_BDEV_SIZE $MALLOC_BLOCK_SIZE -b Malloc0
 $rpc_py nvmf_create_subsystem nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode1 -a -s SPDK00000000000001
 $rpc_py nvmf_subsystem_add_ns nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode1 Malloc0
+
 $rpc_py nvmf_subsystem_add_listener nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode1 -t $TEST_TRANSPORT -a $NVMF_FIRST_TARGET_IP -s $NVMF_PORT
 $rpc_py nvmf_subsystem_add_listener nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode1 -t $TEST_TRANSPORT -a $NVMF_FIRST_TARGET_IP -s $NVMF_SECOND_PORT
 
+$rpc_py bdev_malloc_create $MALLOC_BDEV_SIZE $MALLOC_BLOCK_SIZE -b Malloc1
+$rpc_py nvmf_create_subsystem nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode2 -a -s SPDK00000000000002
+$rpc_py nvmf_subsystem_add_ns nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode2 Malloc1
+
+$rpc_py nvmf_subsystem_add_listener nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode2 -t $TEST_TRANSPORT -a $NVMF_FIRST_TARGET_IP -s $NVMF_PORT
+$rpc_py nvmf_subsystem_add_listener nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode2 -t $TEST_TRANSPORT -a $NVMF_FIRST_TARGET_IP -s $NVMF_SECOND_PORT
+
 $rootdir/test/bdev/bdevperf/bdevperf -z -r $bdevperf_rpc_sock -q 128 -o 4096 -w write -t 1 -f &> $testdir/try.txt &
 bdevperf_pid=$!
 
@@ -51,6 +60,10 @@ NOT $rpc_py -s $bdevperf_rpc_sock bdev_nvme_attach_controller -b NVMe0 -t $TEST_
 	-s $NVMF_PORT -f ipv4 -n nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode1 -i $NVMF_FIRST_TARGET_IP -c $NVMF_HOST_FIRST_PORT \
 	-q nqn.2021-09-7.io.spdk:00001
 
+# try to attach with same controller name but different subnqn. Should fail.
+NOT $rpc_py -s $bdevperf_rpc_sock bdev_nvme_attach_controller -b NVMe0 -t $TEST_TRANSPORT -a $NVMF_FIRST_TARGET_IP \
+	-s $NVMF_PORT -f ipv4 -n nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode2 -i $NVMF_FIRST_TARGET_IP -c $NVMF_HOST_FIRST_PORT
+
 # Add a second path without specifying the host information. Should pass.
 $rpc_py -s $bdevperf_rpc_sock bdev_nvme_attach_controller -b NVMe0 -t $TEST_TRANSPORT -a $NVMF_FIRST_TARGET_IP \
 	-s $NVMF_SECOND_PORT -f ipv4 -n nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode1
@@ -76,6 +89,7 @@ $rpc_py -s $bdevperf_rpc_sock bdev_nvme_detach_controller NVMe1
 killprocess $bdevperf_pid
 
 $rpc_py nvmf_delete_subsystem nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode1
+$rpc_py nvmf_delete_subsystem nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode2
 
 trap - SIGINT SIGTERM EXIT