diff --git a/lib/bdev/nvme/bdev_ftl.c b/lib/bdev/nvme/bdev_ftl.c
index 992b27ad7..8df7cadf9 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/nvme/bdev_ftl.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/nvme/bdev_ftl.c
@@ -44,23 +44,14 @@
 #include "spdk_internal/log.h"
 
 #include "bdev_ftl.h"
+#include "common.h"
 
 #define FTL_COMPLETION_RING_SIZE 4096
 
-struct ftl_bdev_ctrlr {
-	struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr		*ctrlr;
-
-	struct spdk_nvme_transport_id	trid;
-
-	size_t				ref_cnt;
-
-	LIST_ENTRY(ftl_bdev_ctrlr)	list_entry;
-};
-
 struct ftl_bdev {
 	struct spdk_bdev		bdev;
 
-	struct ftl_bdev_ctrlr		*ctrlr;
+	struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr		*ctrlr;
 
 	struct spdk_ftl_dev		*dev;
 
@@ -98,8 +89,6 @@ struct ftl_bdev_io {
 typedef void (*bdev_ftl_finish_fn)(void);
 
 static LIST_HEAD(, ftl_bdev)		g_ftl_bdevs = LIST_HEAD_INITIALIZER(g_ftl_bdevs);
-static LIST_HEAD(, ftl_bdev_ctrlr)	g_ftl_bdev_ctrlrs =
-	LIST_HEAD_INITIALIZER(g_ftl_bdev_ctrlrs);
 static bdev_ftl_finish_fn		g_finish_cb;
 static size_t				g_num_conf_bdevs;
 static size_t				g_num_init_bdevs;
@@ -125,30 +114,16 @@ static struct spdk_bdev_module g_ftl_if = {
 
 SPDK_BDEV_MODULE_REGISTER(ftl, &g_ftl_if)
 
-static struct ftl_bdev_ctrlr *
-bdev_ftl_ctrlr_find(const struct spdk_nvme_transport_id *trid)
-{
-	struct ftl_bdev_ctrlr *ftl_ctrlr = NULL;
-
-	LIST_FOREACH(ftl_ctrlr, &g_ftl_bdev_ctrlrs, list_entry) {
-		if (!spdk_nvme_transport_id_compare(&ftl_ctrlr->trid, trid)) {
-			break;
-		}
-	}
-
-	return ftl_ctrlr;
-}
-
-static struct ftl_bdev_ctrlr *
+static struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr *
 bdev_ftl_add_ctrlr(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, const struct spdk_nvme_transport_id *trid)
 {
-	struct ftl_bdev_ctrlr *ftl_ctrlr = NULL;
+	struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr *ftl_ctrlr = NULL;
 
-	pthread_mutex_lock(&g_ftl_bdev_lock);
+	pthread_mutex_lock(&g_bdev_nvme_mutex);
 
-	ftl_ctrlr = bdev_ftl_ctrlr_find(trid);
+	ftl_ctrlr = nvme_bdev_ctrlr_get(trid);
 	if (ftl_ctrlr) {
-		ftl_ctrlr->ref_cnt++;
+		ftl_ctrlr->ref++;
 	} else {
 		ftl_ctrlr = calloc(1, sizeof(*ftl_ctrlr));
 		if (!ftl_ctrlr) {
@@ -157,31 +132,31 @@ bdev_ftl_add_ctrlr(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, const struct spdk_nvme_transpo
 
 		ftl_ctrlr->ctrlr = ctrlr;
 		ftl_ctrlr->trid = *trid;
-		ftl_ctrlr->ref_cnt = 1;
+		ftl_ctrlr->ref = 1;
 
-		LIST_INSERT_HEAD(&g_ftl_bdev_ctrlrs, ftl_ctrlr, list_entry);
+		TAILQ_INSERT_HEAD(&g_nvme_bdev_ctrlrs, ftl_ctrlr, tailq);
 	}
 out:
-	pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_ftl_bdev_lock);
+	pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_bdev_nvme_mutex);
 	return ftl_ctrlr;
 }
 
 static void
-bdev_ftl_remove_ctrlr(struct ftl_bdev_ctrlr *ctrlr)
+bdev_ftl_remove_ctrlr(struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr *ctrlr)
 {
-	pthread_mutex_lock(&g_ftl_bdev_lock);
+	pthread_mutex_lock(&g_bdev_nvme_mutex);
 
-	if (--ctrlr->ref_cnt == 0) {
+	if (--ctrlr->ref == 0) {
 		if (spdk_nvme_detach(ctrlr->ctrlr)) {
 			SPDK_ERRLOG("Failed to detach the controller\n");
 			goto out;
 		}
 
-		LIST_REMOVE(ctrlr, list_entry);
+		TAILQ_REMOVE(&g_nvme_bdev_ctrlrs, ctrlr, tailq);
 		free(ctrlr);
 	}
 out:
-	pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_ftl_bdev_lock);
+	pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_bdev_nvme_mutex);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -693,7 +668,7 @@ bdev_ftl_create(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, const struct spdk_nvme_transport_
 		const struct spdk_uuid *uuid, ftl_bdev_init_fn cb, void *cb_arg)
 {
 	struct ftl_bdev *ftl_bdev = NULL;
-	struct ftl_bdev_ctrlr *ftl_ctrlr;
+	struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr *ftl_ctrlr;
 	struct spdk_ftl_dev_init_opts opts = {};
 	int rc;
 
@@ -852,24 +827,24 @@ error:
 int
 bdev_ftl_init_bdev(struct ftl_bdev_init_opts *opts, ftl_bdev_init_fn cb, void *cb_arg)
 {
-	struct ftl_bdev_ctrlr *ftl_ctrlr;
+	struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr *ftl_ctrlr;
 	struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr;
 
 	assert(opts != NULL);
 	assert(cb != NULL);
 
-	pthread_mutex_lock(&g_ftl_bdev_lock);
+	pthread_mutex_lock(&g_bdev_nvme_mutex);
 
 	/* Check already attached controllers first */
-	LIST_FOREACH(ftl_ctrlr, &g_ftl_bdev_ctrlrs, list_entry) {
+	TAILQ_FOREACH(ftl_ctrlr, &g_nvme_bdev_ctrlrs, tailq) {
 		if (!spdk_nvme_transport_id_compare(&ftl_ctrlr->trid, &opts->trid)) {
-			pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_ftl_bdev_lock);
+			pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_bdev_nvme_mutex);
 			return bdev_ftl_create(ftl_ctrlr->ctrlr, &ftl_ctrlr->trid, opts->name,
 					       &opts->range, opts->mode, &opts->uuid, cb, cb_arg);
 		}
 	}
 
-	pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_ftl_bdev_lock);
+	pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_bdev_nvme_mutex);
 
 	ctrlr = spdk_nvme_connect(&opts->trid, NULL, 0);
 	if (!ctrlr) {
diff --git a/lib/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c b/lib/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
index 47cfedf12..ec5b077b5 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
@@ -116,7 +116,6 @@ static bool g_nvme_hotplug_enabled = false;
 static struct spdk_thread *g_bdev_nvme_init_thread;
 static struct spdk_poller *g_hotplug_poller;
 static char *g_nvme_hostnqn = NULL;
-static pthread_mutex_t g_bdev_nvme_mutex = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
 
 static void nvme_ctrlr_create_bdevs(struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr *nvme_bdev_ctrlr);
 static int bdev_nvme_library_init(void);
diff --git a/lib/bdev/nvme/common.c b/lib/bdev/nvme/common.c
index 01301de40..d4b4bb7f7 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/nvme/common.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/nvme/common.c
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 #include "common.h"
 
 struct nvme_bdev_ctrlrs g_nvme_bdev_ctrlrs = TAILQ_HEAD_INITIALIZER(g_nvme_bdev_ctrlrs);
+pthread_mutex_t g_bdev_nvme_mutex = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
 
 struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr *
 nvme_bdev_ctrlr_get(const struct spdk_nvme_transport_id *trid)
diff --git a/lib/bdev/nvme/common.h b/lib/bdev/nvme/common.h
index 3a6bd55ac..9db7c2ef3 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/nvme/common.h
+++ b/lib/bdev/nvme/common.h
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 
 TAILQ_HEAD(nvme_bdev_ctrlrs, nvme_bdev_ctrlr);
 extern struct nvme_bdev_ctrlrs g_nvme_bdev_ctrlrs;
+extern pthread_mutex_t g_bdev_nvme_mutex;
 
 #define NVME_MAX_CONTROLLERS 1024