diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
index ddef7399b..ec60ce438 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
@@ -248,13 +248,16 @@ spdk_nvme_ctrlr_alloc_io_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr,
 		memcpy(&opts, user_opts, spdk_min(sizeof(opts), opts_size));
 	}
 
+	nvme_robust_mutex_lock(&ctrlr->ctrlr_lock);
 	if (nvme_ctrlr_get_cc(ctrlr, &cc)) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("get_cc failed\n");
+		nvme_robust_mutex_unlock(&ctrlr->ctrlr_lock);
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
 	/* Only the low 2 bits (values 0, 1, 2, 3) of QPRIO are valid. */
 	if ((opts.qprio & 3) != opts.qprio) {
+		nvme_robust_mutex_unlock(&ctrlr->ctrlr_lock);
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
@@ -264,11 +267,10 @@ spdk_nvme_ctrlr_alloc_io_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr,
 	 */
 	if ((cc.bits.ams == SPDK_NVME_CC_AMS_RR) && (opts.qprio != SPDK_NVME_QPRIO_URGENT)) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("invalid queue priority for default round robin arbitration method\n");
+		nvme_robust_mutex_unlock(&ctrlr->ctrlr_lock);
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	nvme_robust_mutex_lock(&ctrlr->ctrlr_lock);
-
 	/*
 	 * Get the first available I/O queue ID.
 	 */