diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme.c b/lib/nvme/nvme.c
index d33f2bbe5..40add47d9 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme.c
@@ -146,6 +146,14 @@ nvme_allocate_request_null(spdk_nvme_cmd_cb cb_fn, void *cb_arg)
 	return nvme_allocate_request_contig(NULL, 0, cb_fn, cb_arg);
 }
 
+void
+nvme_remove_child_request(struct nvme_request *parent,
+			  struct nvme_request *child)
+{
+	parent->num_children--;
+	TAILQ_REMOVE(&parent->children, child, child_tailq);
+}
+
 void
 nvme_free_request(struct nvme_request *req)
 {
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h b/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
index a49b190b1..1c52ac02f 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
@@ -549,6 +549,7 @@ struct nvme_request *nvme_allocate_request_null(spdk_nvme_cmd_cb cb_fn, void *cb
 struct nvme_request *nvme_allocate_request_contig(void *buffer, uint32_t payload_size,
 		spdk_nvme_cmd_cb cb_fn, void *cb_arg);
 void	nvme_free_request(struct nvme_request *req);
+void	nvme_remove_child_request(struct nvme_request *parent, struct nvme_request *child);
 bool	nvme_intel_has_quirk(struct pci_id *id, uint64_t quirk);
 
 void	spdk_nvme_ctrlr_opts_set_defaults(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr_opts *opts);
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_ns_cmd.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_ns_cmd.c
index cb6d12bc4..889b266da 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_ns_cmd.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_ns_cmd.c
@@ -44,8 +44,7 @@ nvme_cb_complete_child(void *child_arg, const struct spdk_nvme_cpl *cpl)
 	struct nvme_request *child = child_arg;
 	struct nvme_request *parent = child->parent;
 
-	parent->num_children--;
-	TAILQ_REMOVE(&parent->children, child, child_tailq);
+	nvme_remove_child_request(parent, child);
 
 	if (spdk_nvme_cpl_is_error(cpl)) {
 		memcpy(&parent->parent_status, cpl, sizeof(*cpl));
diff --git a/test/lib/nvme/unit/nvme_ns_cmd_c/nvme_ns_cmd_ut.c b/test/lib/nvme/unit/nvme_ns_cmd_c/nvme_ns_cmd_ut.c
index bdc33aa20..623fbd442 100644
--- a/test/lib/nvme/unit/nvme_ns_cmd_c/nvme_ns_cmd_ut.c
+++ b/test/lib/nvme/unit/nvme_ns_cmd_c/nvme_ns_cmd_ut.c
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ split_test2(void)
 	CU_ASSERT(g_request->num_children == 2);
 
 	child = TAILQ_FIRST(&g_request->children);
-	TAILQ_REMOVE(&g_request->children, child, child_tailq);
+	nvme_remove_child_request(g_request, child);
 	nvme_cmd_interpret_rw(&child->cmd, &cmd_lba, &cmd_lba_count);
 	CU_ASSERT(child->num_children == 0);
 	CU_ASSERT(child->payload_size == 128 * 1024);
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ split_test2(void)
 	nvme_free_request(child);
 
 	child = TAILQ_FIRST(&g_request->children);
-	TAILQ_REMOVE(&g_request->children, child, child_tailq);
+	nvme_remove_child_request(g_request, child);
 	nvme_cmd_interpret_rw(&child->cmd, &cmd_lba, &cmd_lba_count);
 	CU_ASSERT(child->num_children == 0);
 	CU_ASSERT(child->payload_size == 128 * 1024);
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ split_test3(void)
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(g_request->num_children == 2);
 
 	child = TAILQ_FIRST(&g_request->children);
-	TAILQ_REMOVE(&g_request->children, child, child_tailq);
+	nvme_remove_child_request(g_request, child);
 	nvme_cmd_interpret_rw(&child->cmd, &cmd_lba, &cmd_lba_count);
 	CU_ASSERT(child->num_children == 0);
 	CU_ASSERT(child->payload_size == 128 * 1024);
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ split_test3(void)
 	nvme_free_request(child);
 
 	child = TAILQ_FIRST(&g_request->children);
-	TAILQ_REMOVE(&g_request->children, child, child_tailq);
+	nvme_remove_child_request(g_request, child);
 	nvme_cmd_interpret_rw(&child->cmd, &cmd_lba, &cmd_lba_count);
 	CU_ASSERT(child->num_children == 0);
 	CU_ASSERT(child->payload_size == 128 * 1024);
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ split_test4(void)
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(g_request->num_children == 3);
 
 	child = TAILQ_FIRST(&g_request->children);
-	TAILQ_REMOVE(&g_request->children, child, child_tailq);
+	nvme_remove_child_request(g_request, child);
 	nvme_cmd_interpret_rw(&child->cmd, &cmd_lba, &cmd_lba_count);
 	CU_ASSERT(child->num_children == 0);
 	CU_ASSERT(child->payload_size == (256 - 10) * 512);
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ split_test4(void)
 	nvme_free_request(child);
 
 	child = TAILQ_FIRST(&g_request->children);
-	TAILQ_REMOVE(&g_request->children, child, child_tailq);
+	nvme_remove_child_request(g_request, child);
 	nvme_cmd_interpret_rw(&child->cmd, &cmd_lba, &cmd_lba_count);
 	CU_ASSERT(child->num_children == 0);
 	CU_ASSERT(child->payload_size == 128 * 1024);
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ split_test4(void)
 	nvme_free_request(child);
 
 	child = TAILQ_FIRST(&g_request->children);
-	TAILQ_REMOVE(&g_request->children, child, child_tailq);
+	nvme_remove_child_request(g_request, child);
 	nvme_cmd_interpret_rw(&child->cmd, &cmd_lba, &cmd_lba_count);
 	CU_ASSERT(child->num_children == 0);
 	CU_ASSERT(child->payload_size == 10 * 512);
@@ -355,10 +355,10 @@ test_cmd_child_request(void)
 	struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr		ctrlr;
 	struct spdk_nvme_qpair		qpair;
 	int				rc = 0;
-	struct nvme_request		*child;
+	struct nvme_request		*child, *tmp;
 	void				*payload;
 	uint64_t			lba = 0x1000;
-	uint32_t			i;
+	uint32_t			i = 0;
 	uint32_t			offset = 0;
 	uint32_t			sector_size = 512;
 	uint32_t			max_io_size = 128 * 1024;
@@ -383,9 +383,8 @@ test_cmd_child_request(void)
 	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
 	CU_ASSERT(g_request->num_children == 4);
 
-	for (i = 0; i < g_request->num_children; i++) {
-		child = TAILQ_FIRST(&g_request->children);
-		TAILQ_REMOVE(&g_request->children, child, child_tailq);
+	TAILQ_FOREACH_SAFE(child, &g_request->children, child_tailq, tmp) {
+		nvme_remove_child_request(g_request, child);
 		CU_ASSERT(child->payload_offset == offset);
 		CU_ASSERT(child->cmd.opc == SPDK_NVME_OPC_READ);
 		CU_ASSERT(child->cmd.nsid == ns.id);
@@ -393,6 +392,7 @@ test_cmd_child_request(void)
 		CU_ASSERT(child->cmd.cdw12 == ((sectors_per_max_io - 1) | 0));
 		offset += max_io_size;
 		nvme_free_request(child);
+		i++;
 	}
 
 	free(payload);
diff --git a/test/lib/nvme/unit/nvme_qpair_c/nvme_qpair_ut.c b/test/lib/nvme/unit/nvme_qpair_c/nvme_qpair_ut.c
index 1f19ba252..2cc329ac8 100644
--- a/test/lib/nvme/unit/nvme_qpair_c/nvme_qpair_ut.c
+++ b/test/lib/nvme/unit/nvme_qpair_c/nvme_qpair_ut.c
@@ -176,6 +176,14 @@ nvme_free_request(struct nvme_request *req)
 	nvme_dealloc_request(req);
 }
 
+void
+nvme_remove_child_request(struct nvme_request *parent,
+			  struct nvme_request *child)
+{
+	parent->num_children--;
+	TAILQ_REMOVE(&parent->children, child, child_tailq);
+}
+
 static void
 test1(void)
 {