diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h b/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
index dc2776adb..79e892610 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
@@ -969,7 +969,78 @@ nvme_qpair_free_request(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair, struct nvme_request *req)
 	STAILQ_INSERT_HEAD(&qpair->free_req, req, stailq);
 }
 
-void	nvme_request_remove_child(struct nvme_request *parent, struct nvme_request *child);
+static inline void
+nvme_request_remove_child(struct nvme_request *parent, struct nvme_request *child)
+{
+	assert(parent != NULL);
+	assert(child != NULL);
+	assert(child->parent == parent);
+	assert(parent->num_children != 0);
+
+	parent->num_children--;
+	TAILQ_REMOVE(&parent->children, child, child_tailq);
+}
+
+static inline void
+nvme_cb_complete_child(void *child_arg, const struct spdk_nvme_cpl *cpl)
+{
+	struct nvme_request *child = child_arg;
+	struct nvme_request *parent = child->parent;
+
+	nvme_request_remove_child(parent, child);
+
+	if (spdk_nvme_cpl_is_error(cpl)) {
+		memcpy(&parent->parent_status, cpl, sizeof(*cpl));
+	}
+
+	if (parent->num_children == 0) {
+		nvme_complete_request(parent->cb_fn, parent->cb_arg, parent->qpair,
+				      parent, &parent->parent_status);
+		nvme_free_request(parent);
+	}
+}
+
+static inline void
+nvme_request_add_child(struct nvme_request *parent, struct nvme_request *child)
+{
+	assert(parent->num_children != UINT16_MAX);
+
+	if (parent->num_children == 0) {
+		/*
+		 * Defer initialization of the children TAILQ since it falls
+		 *  on a separate cacheline.  This ensures we do not touch this
+		 *  cacheline except on request splitting cases, which are
+		 *  relatively rare.
+		 */
+		TAILQ_INIT(&parent->children);
+		parent->parent = NULL;
+		memset(&parent->parent_status, 0, sizeof(struct spdk_nvme_cpl));
+	}
+
+	parent->num_children++;
+	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&parent->children, child, child_tailq);
+	child->parent = parent;
+	child->cb_fn = nvme_cb_complete_child;
+	child->cb_arg = child;
+}
+
+static inline void
+nvme_request_free_children(struct nvme_request *req)
+{
+	struct nvme_request *child, *tmp;
+
+	if (req->num_children == 0) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	/* free all child nvme_request */
+	TAILQ_FOREACH_SAFE(child, &req->children, child_tailq, tmp) {
+		nvme_request_remove_child(req, child);
+		nvme_request_free_children(child);
+		nvme_free_request(child);
+	}
+}
+
 int	nvme_request_check_timeout(struct nvme_request *req, uint16_t cid,
 				   struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr_process *active_proc, uint64_t now_tick);
 uint64_t nvme_get_quirks(const struct spdk_pci_id *id);
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_ns_cmd.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_ns_cmd.c
index 0ed3b1408..f9debf36f 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_ns_cmd.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_ns_cmd.c
@@ -62,78 +62,6 @@ spdk_nvme_ns_check_request_length(uint32_t lba_count, uint32_t sectors_per_max_i
 	return child_per_io >= qdepth;
 }
 
-static void
-nvme_cb_complete_child(void *child_arg, const struct spdk_nvme_cpl *cpl)
-{
-	struct nvme_request *child = child_arg;
-	struct nvme_request *parent = child->parent;
-
-	nvme_request_remove_child(parent, child);
-
-	if (spdk_nvme_cpl_is_error(cpl)) {
-		memcpy(&parent->parent_status, cpl, sizeof(*cpl));
-	}
-
-	if (parent->num_children == 0) {
-		nvme_complete_request(parent->cb_fn, parent->cb_arg, parent->qpair,
-				      parent, &parent->parent_status);
-		nvme_free_request(parent);
-	}
-}
-
-static void
-nvme_request_add_child(struct nvme_request *parent, struct nvme_request *child)
-{
-	assert(parent->num_children != UINT16_MAX);
-
-	if (parent->num_children == 0) {
-		/*
-		 * Defer initialization of the children TAILQ since it falls
-		 *  on a separate cacheline.  This ensures we do not touch this
-		 *  cacheline except on request splitting cases, which are
-		 *  relatively rare.
-		 */
-		TAILQ_INIT(&parent->children);
-		parent->parent = NULL;
-		memset(&parent->parent_status, 0, sizeof(struct spdk_nvme_cpl));
-	}
-
-	parent->num_children++;
-	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&parent->children, child, child_tailq);
-	child->parent = parent;
-	child->cb_fn = nvme_cb_complete_child;
-	child->cb_arg = child;
-}
-
-void
-nvme_request_remove_child(struct nvme_request *parent, struct nvme_request *child)
-{
-	assert(parent != NULL);
-	assert(child != NULL);
-	assert(child->parent == parent);
-	assert(parent->num_children != 0);
-
-	parent->num_children--;
-	TAILQ_REMOVE(&parent->children, child, child_tailq);
-}
-
-static void
-nvme_request_free_children(struct nvme_request *req)
-{
-	struct nvme_request *child, *tmp;
-
-	if (req->num_children == 0) {
-		return;
-	}
-
-	/* free all child nvme_request */
-	TAILQ_FOREACH_SAFE(child, &req->children, child_tailq, tmp) {
-		nvme_request_remove_child(req, child);
-		nvme_request_free_children(child);
-		nvme_free_request(child);
-	}
-}
-
 static struct nvme_request *
 _nvme_add_child_request(struct spdk_nvme_ns *ns, struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair,
 			const struct nvme_payload *payload,
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c/nvme_qpair_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c/nvme_qpair_ut.c
index 9034df6f1..16e0d974c 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c/nvme_qpair_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c/nvme_qpair_ut.c
@@ -48,14 +48,6 @@ struct nvme_driver _g_nvme_driver = {
 	.lock = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER,
 };
 
-void
-nvme_request_remove_child(struct nvme_request *parent,
-			  struct nvme_request *child)
-{
-	parent->num_children--;
-	TAILQ_REMOVE(&parent->children, child, child_tailq);
-}
-
 void
 nvme_transport_qpair_abort_reqs(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair, uint32_t dnr)
 {