diff --git a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.h b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.h
index 412150320..124b5e629 100644
--- a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.h
+++ b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.h
@@ -187,7 +187,6 @@ struct nvme_qpair {
 };
 
 struct nvme_ctrlr_channel {
-	struct nvme_ctrlr		*ctrlr;
 	struct nvme_qpair		*qpair;
 	TAILQ_HEAD(, spdk_bdev_io)	pending_resets;
 
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c/bdev_nvme_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c/bdev_nvme_ut.c
index a79954f74..a5026df11 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c/bdev_nvme_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c/bdev_nvme_ut.c
@@ -4001,7 +4001,7 @@ test_find_io_path(void)
 	struct spdk_nvme_qpair qpair1 = {}, qpair2 = {};
 	struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr ctrlr1 = {}, ctrlr2 = {};
 	struct nvme_ctrlr nvme_ctrlr1 = { .ctrlr = &ctrlr1, }, nvme_ctrlr2 = { .ctrlr = &ctrlr2, };
-	struct nvme_ctrlr_channel ctrlr_ch1 = { .ctrlr = &nvme_ctrlr1, }, ctrlr_ch2 = { .ctrlr = &nvme_ctrlr2, };
+	struct nvme_ctrlr_channel ctrlr_ch1 = {}, ctrlr_ch2 = {};
 	struct nvme_qpair nvme_qpair1 = { .ctrlr_ch = &ctrlr_ch1, .ctrlr = &nvme_ctrlr1, };
 	struct nvme_qpair nvme_qpair2 = { .ctrlr_ch = &ctrlr_ch2, .ctrlr = &nvme_ctrlr2, };
 	struct nvme_ns nvme_ns1 = {}, nvme_ns2 = {};