diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c
index 5b330e77e..aa9f4307c 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c
@@ -414,13 +414,17 @@ nvme_rdma_alloc_reqs(struct nvme_rdma_qpair *rqpair)
 	TAILQ_INIT(&rqpair->outstanding_reqs);
 	for (i = 0; i < rqpair->num_entries; i++) {
 		struct spdk_nvme_rdma_req	*rdma_req;
-		struct spdk_nvme_cmd		*cmd;
+		struct spdk_nvmf_cmd		*cmd;
 
 		rdma_req = &rqpair->rdma_reqs[i];
-		cmd = &rqpair->cmds[i].cmd;
+		cmd = &rqpair->cmds[i];
 
 		rdma_req->id = i;
 
+		/* The first RDMA sgl element will always point
+		 * at this data structure. Depending on whether
+		 * an NVMe-oF SGL is required, the length of
+		 * this element may change. */
 		rdma_req->send_sgl[0].addr = (uint64_t)cmd;
 		rdma_req->send_sgl[0].lkey = rqpair->cmd_mr->lkey;
 
@@ -428,7 +432,7 @@ nvme_rdma_alloc_reqs(struct nvme_rdma_qpair *rqpair)
 		rdma_req->send_wr.next = NULL;
 		rdma_req->send_wr.opcode = IBV_WR_SEND;
 		rdma_req->send_wr.send_flags = IBV_SEND_SIGNALED;
-		rdma_req->send_wr.sg_list = &rdma_req->send_sgl[0];
+		rdma_req->send_wr.sg_list = rdma_req->send_sgl;
 		rdma_req->send_wr.num_sge = 1; /* Need to increment if inline */
 		rdma_req->send_wr.imm_data = 0;
 
@@ -831,7 +835,12 @@ nvme_rdma_build_null_request(struct spdk_nvme_rdma_req *rdma_req)
 
 	req->cmd.psdt = SPDK_NVME_PSDT_SGL_MPTR_CONTIG;
 
+	/* The first element of this SGL is pointing at an
+	 * spdk_nvmf_cmd object. For this particular command,
+	 * we only need the first 64 bytes corresponding to
+	 * the NVMe command. */
 	rdma_req->send_sgl[0].length = sizeof(struct spdk_nvme_cmd);
+
 	nvme_sgl = &req->cmd.dptr.sgl1;
 	nvme_sgl->keyed.type = SPDK_NVME_SGL_TYPE_KEYED_DATA_BLOCK;
 	nvme_sgl->keyed.subtype = SPDK_NVME_SGL_SUBTYPE_ADDRESS;
@@ -867,12 +876,18 @@ nvme_rdma_build_contig_inline_request(struct nvme_rdma_qpair *rqpair,
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
+	/* The first element of this SGL is pointing at an
+	 * spdk_nvmf_cmd object. For this particular command,
+	 * we only need the first 64 bytes corresponding to
+	 * the NVMe command. */
+	rdma_req->send_sgl[0].length = sizeof(struct spdk_nvme_cmd);
+
 	sge_inline->addr = (uint64_t)payload;
 	sge_inline->length = (uint32_t)req->payload_size;
 	sge_inline->lkey = mr->lkey;
 
 	rdma_req->send_wr.num_sge = 2;
-	rdma_req->send_sgl[0].length = sizeof(struct spdk_nvme_cmd);
+
 	req->cmd.psdt = SPDK_NVME_PSDT_SGL_MPTR_CONTIG;
 	req->cmd.dptr.sgl1.unkeyed.type = SPDK_NVME_SGL_TYPE_DATA_BLOCK;
 	req->cmd.dptr.sgl1.unkeyed.subtype = SPDK_NVME_SGL_SUBTYPE_OFFSET;
@@ -906,8 +921,14 @@ nvme_rdma_build_contig_request(struct nvme_rdma_qpair *rqpair,
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	rdma_req->send_wr.num_sge = 1;
+	/* The first element of this SGL is pointing at an
+	 * spdk_nvmf_cmd object. For this particular command,
+	 * we only need the first 64 bytes corresponding to
+	 * the NVMe command. */
 	rdma_req->send_sgl[0].length = sizeof(struct spdk_nvme_cmd);
+
+	rdma_req->send_wr.num_sge = 1;
+
 	req->cmd.psdt = SPDK_NVME_PSDT_SGL_MPTR_CONTIG;
 	req->cmd.dptr.sgl1.keyed.type = SPDK_NVME_SGL_TYPE_KEYED_DATA_BLOCK;
 	req->cmd.dptr.sgl1.keyed.subtype = SPDK_NVME_SGL_SUBTYPE_ADDRESS;
@@ -983,7 +1004,12 @@ nvme_rdma_build_sgl_request(struct nvme_rdma_qpair *rqpair,
 	 * as a data block descriptor.
 	 */
 	if (num_sgl_desc == 1) {
+		/* The first element of this SGL is pointing at an
+		 * spdk_nvmf_cmd object. For this particular command,
+		 * we only need the first 64 bytes corresponding to
+		 * the NVMe command. */
 		rdma_req->send_sgl[0].length = sizeof(struct spdk_nvme_cmd);
+
 		req->cmd.dptr.sgl1.keyed.type = SPDK_NVME_SGL_TYPE_KEYED_DATA_BLOCK;
 		req->cmd.dptr.sgl1.keyed.subtype = SPDK_NVME_SGL_SUBTYPE_ADDRESS;
 		req->cmd.dptr.sgl1.keyed.length = req->payload_size;
@@ -996,6 +1022,7 @@ nvme_rdma_build_sgl_request(struct nvme_rdma_qpair *rqpair,
 		 */
 		rdma_req->send_sgl[0].length = sizeof(struct spdk_nvme_cmd) + sizeof(struct
 					       spdk_nvme_sgl_descriptor) * num_sgl_desc;
+
 		req->cmd.dptr.sgl1.unkeyed.type = SPDK_NVME_SGL_TYPE_LAST_SEGMENT;
 		req->cmd.dptr.sgl1.unkeyed.subtype = SPDK_NVME_SGL_SUBTYPE_OFFSET;
 		req->cmd.dptr.sgl1.unkeyed.length = num_sgl_desc * sizeof(struct spdk_nvme_sgl_descriptor);
@@ -1044,12 +1071,18 @@ nvme_rdma_build_sgl_inline_request(struct nvme_rdma_qpair *rqpair,
 		return -1;
 	}
 
+	/* The first element of this SGL is pointing at an
+	 * spdk_nvmf_cmd object. For this particular command,
+	 * we only need the first 64 bytes corresponding to
+	 * the NVMe command. */
+	rdma_req->send_sgl[0].length = sizeof(struct spdk_nvme_cmd);
+
 	sge_inline->addr = (uint64_t)virt_addr;
 	sge_inline->length = (uint32_t)req->payload_size;
 	sge_inline->lkey = mr->lkey;
 
 	rdma_req->send_wr.num_sge = 2;
-	rdma_req->send_sgl[0].length = sizeof(struct spdk_nvme_cmd);
+
 	req->cmd.psdt = SPDK_NVME_PSDT_SGL_MPTR_CONTIG;
 	req->cmd.dptr.sgl1.unkeyed.type = SPDK_NVME_SGL_TYPE_DATA_BLOCK;
 	req->cmd.dptr.sgl1.unkeyed.subtype = SPDK_NVME_SGL_SUBTYPE_OFFSET;