diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme.c b/lib/nvme/nvme.c
index 129aaa3f8..6f7846d67 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme.c
@@ -157,14 +157,18 @@ nvme_allocate_request(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair,
 	STAILQ_REMOVE_HEAD(&qpair->free_req, stailq);
 
 	/*
-	 * Only memset up to (but not including) the children
-	 *  TAILQ_ENTRY.  children, and following members, are
+	 * Only memset/zero fields that need it.  All other fields
+	 *  will be initialized appropriately either later in this
+	 *  function, or before they are needed later in the
+	 *  submission patch.  For example, the children
+	 *  TAILQ_ENTRY and following members are
 	 *  only used as part of I/O splitting so we avoid
 	 *  memsetting them until it is actually needed.
 	 *  They will be initialized in nvme_request_add_child()
 	 *  if the request is split.
 	 */
-	memset(req, 0, offsetof(struct nvme_request, children));
+	memset(req, 0, offsetof(struct nvme_request, payload_size));
+
 	req->cb_fn = cb_fn;
 	req->cb_arg = cb_arg;
 	req->payload = *payload;
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr_cmd.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr_cmd.c
index 11bb63567..7d72c78c2 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr_cmd.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr_cmd.c
@@ -465,6 +465,7 @@ spdk_nvme_ctrlr_cmd_abort_cpl(void *ctx, const struct spdk_nvme_cpl *cpl)
 		rc = nvme_ctrlr_submit_admin_request(ctrlr, next);
 		if (rc < 0) {
 			SPDK_ERRLOG("Failed to submit queued abort.\n");
+			memset(&next->cpl, 0, sizeof(next->cpl));
 			next->cpl.status.sct = SPDK_NVME_SCT_GENERIC;
 			next->cpl.status.sc = SPDK_NVME_SC_INTERNAL_DEVICE_ERROR;
 			next->cpl.status.dnr = 1;
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h b/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
index 24bc1699b..add767a43 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
@@ -180,11 +180,6 @@ nvme_payload_type(const struct nvme_payload *payload) {
 struct nvme_request {
 	struct spdk_nvme_cmd		cmd;
 
-	/**
-	 * Data payload for this request's command.
-	 */
-	struct nvme_payload		payload;
-
 	uint8_t				retries;
 
 	/**
@@ -192,7 +187,6 @@ struct nvme_request {
 	 *  request which was split into multiple child requests.
 	 */
 	uint16_t			num_children;
-	uint32_t			payload_size;
 
 	/**
 	 * Offset in bytes from the beginning of payload for this request.
@@ -201,6 +195,13 @@ struct nvme_request {
 	uint32_t			payload_offset;
 	uint32_t			md_offset;
 
+	uint32_t			payload_size;
+
+	/**
+	 * Data payload for this request's command.
+	 */
+	struct nvme_payload		payload;
+
 	spdk_nvme_cmd_cb		cb_fn;
 	void				*cb_arg;
 	STAILQ_ENTRY(nvme_request)	stailq;