diff --git a/lib/env_dpdk/pci.c b/lib/env_dpdk/pci.c
index 124735ae2..49cbd1d79 100644
--- a/lib/env_dpdk/pci.c
+++ b/lib/env_dpdk/pci.c
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 
 #include "env_internal.h"
 
+#include <rte_alarm.h>
 #include "spdk/env.h"
 
 #define SYSFS_PCI_DRIVERS	"/sys/bus/pci/drivers"
@@ -97,9 +98,9 @@ spdk_cfg_write_rte(struct spdk_pci_device *dev, void *value, uint32_t len, uint3
 }
 
 static void
-spdk_detach_rte(struct spdk_pci_device *dev)
+spdk_detach_rte_cb(void *_dev)
 {
-	struct rte_pci_device *rte_dev = dev->dev_handle;
+	struct rte_pci_device *rte_dev = _dev;
 
 #if RTE_VERSION >= RTE_VERSION_NUM(18, 11, 0, 0)
 	char bdf[32];
@@ -114,6 +115,20 @@ spdk_detach_rte(struct spdk_pci_device *dev)
 #endif
 }
 
+static void
+spdk_detach_rte(struct spdk_pci_device *dev)
+{
+	/* The device was already marked as available and could be attached
+	 * again while we go asynchronous, so we explicitly forbid that.
+	 */
+	dev->internal.pending_removal = true;
+	if (spdk_process_is_primary()) {
+		rte_eal_alarm_set(10, spdk_detach_rte_cb, dev->dev_handle);
+	} else {
+		spdk_detach_rte_cb(dev->dev_handle);
+	}
+}
+
 void
 spdk_pci_driver_register(struct spdk_pci_driver *driver)
 {
@@ -317,7 +332,7 @@ spdk_pci_device_attach(struct spdk_pci_driver *driver,
 	}
 
 	if (dev != NULL && dev->internal.driver == driver) {
-		if (dev->internal.attached) {
+		if (dev->internal.attached || dev->internal.pending_removal) {
 			pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_pci_mutex);
 			return -1;
 		}
@@ -377,7 +392,9 @@ spdk_pci_enumerate(struct spdk_pci_driver *driver,
 	pthread_mutex_lock(&g_pci_mutex);
 
 	TAILQ_FOREACH(dev, &g_pci_devices, internal.tailq) {
-		if (dev->internal.attached || dev->internal.driver != driver) {
+		if (dev->internal.attached ||
+		    dev->internal.driver != driver ||
+		    dev->internal.pending_removal) {
 			continue;
 		}