diff --git a/lib/nvmf/ctrlr.c b/lib/nvmf/ctrlr.c
index 52f5ed8a0..c11f3ee82 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/ctrlr.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/ctrlr.c
@@ -403,7 +403,7 @@ _nvmf_ctrlr_destruct(void *ctx)
 	struct spdk_nvmf_reservation_log *log, *log_tmp;
 
 	nvmf_ctrlr_stop_keep_alive_timer(ctrlr);
-
+	spdk_bit_array_free(&ctrlr->qpair_mask);
 	TAILQ_FOREACH_SAFE(log, &ctrlr->log_head, link, log_tmp) {
 		TAILQ_REMOVE(&ctrlr->log_head, log, link);
 		free(log);
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c b/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
index 07c506c4c..ed2145533 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
@@ -866,8 +866,6 @@ _nvmf_ctrlr_free_from_qpair(void *ctx)
 	spdk_bit_array_clear(ctrlr->qpair_mask, qpair_ctx->qid);
 	count = spdk_bit_array_count_set(ctrlr->qpair_mask);
 	if (count == 0) {
-		spdk_bit_array_free(&ctrlr->qpair_mask);
-
 		spdk_thread_send_msg(ctrlr->subsys->thread, _nvmf_ctrlr_destruct, ctrlr);
 	}