diff --git a/include/spdk/nvme.h b/include/spdk/nvme.h
index e3b2d0c4e..68867ec06 100644
--- a/include/spdk/nvme.h
+++ b/include/spdk/nvme.h
@@ -773,9 +773,16 @@ struct spdk_nvme_probe_ctx *spdk_nvme_probe_async(const struct spdk_nvme_transpo
 		spdk_nvme_remove_cb remove_cb);
 
 /**
- * Start controllers in the context list.
+ * Proceed with attaching contollers associated with the probe context.
  *
- * Users may call the function util it returns True.
+ * The probe context is one returned from a previous call to
+ * spdk_nvme_probe_async().  Users must call this function on the
+ * probe context until it returns 0.
+ *
+ * If any controllers fail to attach, there is no explicit notification.
+ * Users can detect attachment failure by comparing attach_cb invocations
+ * with the number of times where the user returned true for the
+ * probe_cb.
  *
  * \param probe_ctx Context used to track probe actions.
  *
@@ -783,7 +790,6 @@ struct spdk_nvme_probe_ctx *spdk_nvme_probe_async(const struct spdk_nvme_transpo
  * is also freed and no longer valid.
  * \return -EAGAIN if there are still pending probe operations; user must call
  * spdk_nvme_probe_poll_async again to continue progress.
- * \return value other than 0 and -EAGAIN probe error with one controller.
  */
 int spdk_nvme_probe_poll_async(struct spdk_nvme_probe_ctx *probe_ctx);
 
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme.c b/lib/nvme/nvme.c
index 830d9a0c4..7aa75e7a3 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme.c
@@ -688,11 +688,11 @@ nvme_ctrlr_probe(const struct spdk_nvme_transport_id *trid,
 	return 1;
 }
 
-static int
+static void
 nvme_ctrlr_poll_internal(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr,
 			 struct spdk_nvme_probe_ctx *probe_ctx)
 {
-	int	rc = 0;
+	int rc = 0;
 
 	rc = nvme_ctrlr_process_init(ctrlr);
 
@@ -704,11 +704,11 @@ nvme_ctrlr_poll_internal(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr,
 		nvme_ctrlr_fail(ctrlr, false);
 		nvme_robust_mutex_unlock(&ctrlr->ctrlr_lock);
 		nvme_ctrlr_destruct(ctrlr);
-		return rc;
+		return;
 	}
 
 	if (ctrlr->state != NVME_CTRLR_STATE_READY) {
-		return 0;
+		return;
 	}
 
 	STAILQ_INIT(&ctrlr->io_producers);
@@ -735,10 +735,7 @@ nvme_ctrlr_poll_internal(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr,
 
 	if (probe_ctx->attach_cb) {
 		probe_ctx->attach_cb(probe_ctx->cb_ctx, &ctrlr->trid, ctrlr, &ctrlr->opts);
-		return 0;
 	}
-
-	return 0;
 }
 
 static int
@@ -1545,7 +1542,6 @@ spdk_nvme_probe_async(const struct spdk_nvme_transport_id *trid,
 int
 spdk_nvme_probe_poll_async(struct spdk_nvme_probe_ctx *probe_ctx)
 {
-	int rc = 0;
 	struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, *ctrlr_tmp;
 
 	if (!spdk_process_is_primary() && probe_ctx->trid.trtype == SPDK_NVME_TRANSPORT_PCIE) {
@@ -1554,19 +1550,15 @@ spdk_nvme_probe_poll_async(struct spdk_nvme_probe_ctx *probe_ctx)
 	}
 
 	TAILQ_FOREACH_SAFE(ctrlr, &probe_ctx->init_ctrlrs, tailq, ctrlr_tmp) {
-		rc = nvme_ctrlr_poll_internal(ctrlr, probe_ctx);
-		if (rc != 0) {
-			rc = -EIO;
-			break;
-		}
+		nvme_ctrlr_poll_internal(ctrlr, probe_ctx);
 	}
 
-	if (rc != 0 || TAILQ_EMPTY(&probe_ctx->init_ctrlrs)) {
+	if (TAILQ_EMPTY(&probe_ctx->init_ctrlrs)) {
 		nvme_robust_mutex_lock(&g_spdk_nvme_driver->lock);
 		g_spdk_nvme_driver->initialized = true;
 		nvme_robust_mutex_unlock(&g_spdk_nvme_driver->lock);
 		free(probe_ctx);
-		return rc;
+		return 0;
 	}
 
 	return -EAGAIN;
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme.c/nvme_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme.c/nvme_ut.c
index f1d080875..c0549f6e7 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme.c/nvme_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme.c/nvme_ut.c
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ test_nvme_init_controllers(void)
 	probe_ctx->attach_cb = attach_cb;
 	probe_ctx->trid.trtype = SPDK_NVME_TRANSPORT_PCIE;
 	rc = nvme_init_controllers(probe_ctx);
-	CU_ASSERT(rc != 0);
+	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
 	CU_ASSERT(g_spdk_nvme_driver->initialized == true);
 	CU_ASSERT(ut_destruct_called == true);