diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
index d09364be2..cecb5b2d1 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
@@ -1595,6 +1595,7 @@ nvme_ctrlr_abort_queued_aborts(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr)
 
 	STAILQ_FOREACH_SAFE(req, &ctrlr->queued_aborts, stailq, tmp) {
 		STAILQ_REMOVE_HEAD(&ctrlr->queued_aborts, stailq);
+		ctrlr->outstanding_aborts++;
 
 		nvme_complete_request(req->cb_fn, req->cb_arg, req->qpair, req, &cpl);
 		nvme_free_request(req);
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr_cmd.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr_cmd.c
index f9e5c1a03..57f7a7f0d 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr_cmd.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr_cmd.c
@@ -589,6 +589,7 @@ nvme_ctrlr_cmd_abort_cpl(void *ctx, const struct spdk_nvme_cpl *cpl)
 
 	ctrlr = req->qpair->ctrlr;
 
+	assert(ctrlr->outstanding_aborts > 0);
 	ctrlr->outstanding_aborts--;
 	nvme_ctrlr_retry_queued_abort(ctrlr);
 
@@ -637,6 +638,7 @@ nvme_complete_abort_request(void *ctx, const struct spdk_nvme_cpl *cpl)
 
 	ctrlr = req->qpair->ctrlr;
 
+	assert(ctrlr->outstanding_aborts > 0);
 	ctrlr->outstanding_aborts--;
 	nvme_ctrlr_retry_queued_abort(ctrlr);