diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_transport.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_transport.c
index 3e060e590..4ecbc68d7 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_transport.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_transport.c
@@ -484,7 +484,7 @@ nvme_transport_ctrlr_connect_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, struct spdk_nv
 	if (!qpair->async) {
 		/* Busy wait until the qpair exits the connecting state */
 		while (nvme_qpair_get_state(qpair) == NVME_QPAIR_CONNECTING) {
-			if (qpair->poll_group) {
+			if (qpair->poll_group && spdk_nvme_ctrlr_is_fabrics(ctrlr)) {
 				rc = spdk_nvme_poll_group_process_completions(
 					     qpair->poll_group->group, 0,
 					     nvme_transport_connect_qpair_fail);
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_transport.c/nvme_transport_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_transport.c/nvme_transport_ut.c
index 825e6d360..982f927de 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_transport.c/nvme_transport_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_transport.c/nvme_transport_ut.c
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ DEFINE_STUB(spdk_nvme_poll_group_process_completions, int64_t, (struct spdk_nvme
 		spdk_nvme_disconnected_qpair_cb disconnected_qpair_cb), 0);
 DEFINE_STUB(nvme_ctrlr_get_current_process, struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr_process *,
 	    (struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr), NULL);
+DEFINE_STUB(spdk_nvme_ctrlr_is_fabrics, bool, (struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr), false);
 
 static void
 ut_construct_transport(struct spdk_nvme_transport *transport, const char name[])