diff --git a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
index df6151b4e..97f134656 100644
--- a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
+++ b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
@@ -340,6 +340,7 @@ bdev_nvme_create_qpair(struct nvme_io_channel *nvme_ch)
 {
 	struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr = nvme_ch->ctrlr->ctrlr;
 	struct spdk_nvme_io_qpair_opts opts;
+	struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair;
 	int rc;
 
 	spdk_nvme_ctrlr_get_default_io_qpair_opts(ctrlr, &opts, sizeof(opts));
@@ -348,29 +349,31 @@ bdev_nvme_create_qpair(struct nvme_io_channel *nvme_ch)
 	opts.io_queue_requests = spdk_max(g_opts.io_queue_requests, opts.io_queue_requests);
 	g_opts.io_queue_requests = opts.io_queue_requests;
 
-	nvme_ch->qpair = spdk_nvme_ctrlr_alloc_io_qpair(ctrlr, &opts, sizeof(opts));
-	if (nvme_ch->qpair == NULL) {
+	qpair = spdk_nvme_ctrlr_alloc_io_qpair(ctrlr, &opts, sizeof(opts));
+	if (qpair == NULL) {
 		return -1;
 	}
 
 	assert(nvme_ch->group != NULL);
 
-	rc = spdk_nvme_poll_group_add(nvme_ch->group->group, nvme_ch->qpair);
+	rc = spdk_nvme_poll_group_add(nvme_ch->group->group, qpair);
 	if (rc != 0) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("Unable to begin polling on NVMe Channel.\n");
 		goto err;
 	}
 
-	rc = spdk_nvme_ctrlr_connect_io_qpair(ctrlr, nvme_ch->qpair);
+	rc = spdk_nvme_ctrlr_connect_io_qpair(ctrlr, qpair);
 	if (rc != 0) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("Unable to connect I/O qpair.\n");
 		goto err;
 	}
 
+	nvme_ch->qpair = qpair;
+
 	return 0;
 
 err:
-	spdk_nvme_ctrlr_free_io_qpair(nvme_ch->qpair);
+	spdk_nvme_ctrlr_free_io_qpair(qpair);
 
 	return rc;
 }
@@ -1020,7 +1023,9 @@ bdev_nvme_destroy_cb(void *io_device, void *ctx_buf)
 		bdev_ocssd_destroy_io_channel(nvme_ch);
 	}
 
-	spdk_nvme_ctrlr_free_io_qpair(nvme_ch->qpair);
+	if (nvme_ch->qpair != NULL) {
+		spdk_nvme_ctrlr_free_io_qpair(nvme_ch->qpair);
+	}
 
 	spdk_put_io_channel(spdk_io_channel_from_ctx(nvme_ch->group));
 }
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 cddec2474..3d2a7386a 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
@@ -252,6 +252,7 @@ struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr {
 	struct spdk_nvme_qpair		adminq;
 	struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr_data	cdata;
 	bool				is_failed;
+	bool				fail_reset;
 	struct spdk_nvme_transport_id	trid;
 	TAILQ_HEAD(, spdk_nvme_qpair)	active_io_qpairs;
 	TAILQ_ENTRY(spdk_nvme_ctrlr)	tailq;
@@ -615,6 +616,10 @@ spdk_nvme_ctrlr_free_io_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
 int
 spdk_nvme_ctrlr_reset(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr)
 {
+	if (ctrlr->fail_reset) {
+		return -EIO;
+	}
+
 	ctrlr->is_failed = false;
 
 	return 0;
@@ -1331,7 +1336,7 @@ test_pending_reset(void)
 
 	nvme_ch2 = spdk_io_channel_get_ctx(ch2);
 
-	/* The first abort request is submitted on thread 1, and the second abort request
+	/* The first reset request is submitted on thread 1, and the second reset request
 	 * is submitted on thread 0 while processing the first request.
 	 */
 	rc = bdev_nvme_reset(nvme_ch2, first_bio);
@@ -1351,6 +1356,33 @@ test_pending_reset(void)
 	CU_ASSERT(first_bdev_io->internal.status == SPDK_BDEV_IO_STATUS_SUCCESS);
 	CU_ASSERT(second_bdev_io->internal.status == SPDK_BDEV_IO_STATUS_SUCCESS);
 
+	/* The first reset request is submitted on thread 1, and the second reset request
+	 * is submitted on thread 0 while processing the first request.
+	 *
+	 * The difference from the above scenario is that the controller is removed while
+	 * processing the first request. Hence both reset requests should fail.
+	 */
+	set_thread(1);
+
+	rc = bdev_nvme_reset(nvme_ch2, first_bio);
+	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
+	CU_ASSERT(nvme_bdev_ctrlr->resetting == true);
+	CU_ASSERT(TAILQ_EMPTY(&nvme_ch2->pending_resets));
+
+	set_thread(0);
+
+	rc = bdev_nvme_reset(nvme_ch1, second_bio);
+	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
+	CU_ASSERT(TAILQ_FIRST(&nvme_ch1->pending_resets) == second_bdev_io);
+
+	ctrlr.fail_reset = true;
+
+	poll_threads();
+
+	CU_ASSERT(nvme_bdev_ctrlr->resetting == false);
+	CU_ASSERT(first_bdev_io->internal.status == SPDK_BDEV_IO_STATUS_FAILED);
+	CU_ASSERT(second_bdev_io->internal.status == SPDK_BDEV_IO_STATUS_FAILED);
+
 	spdk_put_io_channel(ch1);
 
 	set_thread(1);