diff --git a/include/spdk/nvmf_transport.h b/include/spdk/nvmf_transport.h
index d3597d3f7..9098357dd 100644
--- a/include/spdk/nvmf_transport.h
+++ b/include/spdk/nvmf_transport.h
@@ -157,6 +157,12 @@ struct spdk_nvmf_poll_group {
 	struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem_poll_group		*sgroups;
 	uint32_t					num_sgroups;
 
+	/* Protected by mutex. Counts qpairs that have connected at a
+	 * transport level, but are not associated with a subsystem
+	 * or controller yet (because the CONNECT capsule hasn't
+	 * been received). */
+	uint32_t					current_unassociated_qpairs;
+
 	/* All of the queue pairs that belong to this poll group */
 	TAILQ_HEAD(, spdk_nvmf_qpair)			qpairs;
 
@@ -167,6 +173,8 @@ struct spdk_nvmf_poll_group {
 	void						*destroy_cb_arg;
 
 	TAILQ_ENTRY(spdk_nvmf_poll_group)		link;
+
+	pthread_mutex_t					mutex;
 };
 
 struct spdk_nvmf_listener {
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/ctrlr.c b/lib/nvmf/ctrlr.c
index 6f9b61d79..a5099b336 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/ctrlr.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/ctrlr.c
@@ -729,6 +729,10 @@ _nvmf_ctrlr_connect(struct spdk_nvmf_request *req)
 	qpair->qid = cmd->qid;
 	qpair->connect_received = true;
 
+	pthread_mutex_lock(&qpair->group->mutex);
+	qpair->group->current_unassociated_qpairs--;
+	pthread_mutex_unlock(&qpair->group->mutex);
+
 	if (0 == qpair->qid) {
 		qpair->group->stat.admin_qpairs++;
 		qpair->group->stat.current_admin_qpairs++;
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c b/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
index 1658d6d5a..0efeda94b 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
@@ -175,6 +175,7 @@ nvmf_tgt_create_poll_group(void *io_device, void *ctx_buf)
 	TAILQ_INIT(&group->tgroups);
 	TAILQ_INIT(&group->qpairs);
 	group->thread = thread;
+	pthread_mutex_init(&group->mutex, NULL);
 
 	group->poller = SPDK_POLLER_REGISTER(nvmf_poll_group_poll, group, 0);
 
@@ -887,6 +888,10 @@ spdk_nvmf_tgt_new_qpair(struct spdk_nvmf_tgt *tgt, struct spdk_nvmf_qpair *qpair
 	ctx->qpair = qpair;
 	ctx->group = group;
 
+	pthread_mutex_lock(&group->mutex);
+	group->current_unassociated_qpairs++;
+	pthread_mutex_unlock(&group->mutex);
+
 	spdk_thread_send_msg(group->thread, _nvmf_poll_group_add, ctx);
 }
 
@@ -1054,6 +1059,10 @@ _nvmf_qpair_destroy(void *ctx, int status)
 			assert(qpair->group->stat.current_io_qpairs > 0);
 			qpair->group->stat.current_io_qpairs--;
 		}
+	} else {
+		pthread_mutex_lock(&qpair->group->mutex);
+		qpair->group->current_unassociated_qpairs--;
+		pthread_mutex_unlock(&qpair->group->mutex);
 	}
 
 	if (ctrlr) {