diff --git a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
index 3532654fe..5239f270d 100644
--- a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
+++ b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
@@ -3206,7 +3206,14 @@ static int
 bdev_nvme_admin_passthru(struct nvme_io_channel *nvme_ch, struct nvme_bdev_io *bio,
 			 struct spdk_nvme_cmd *cmd, void *buf, size_t nbytes)
 {
-	uint32_t max_xfer_size = spdk_nvme_ctrlr_get_max_xfer_size(nvme_ch->ctrlr->ctrlr);
+	struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr *nvme_bdev_ctrlr;
+	uint32_t max_xfer_size;
+
+	if (!bdev_nvme_find_admin_path(nvme_ch, &nvme_bdev_ctrlr)) {
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	max_xfer_size = spdk_nvme_ctrlr_get_max_xfer_size(nvme_bdev_ctrlr->ctrlr);
 
 	if (nbytes > max_xfer_size) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("nbytes is greater than MDTS %" PRIu32 ".\n", max_xfer_size);
@@ -3215,7 +3222,7 @@ bdev_nvme_admin_passthru(struct nvme_io_channel *nvme_ch, struct nvme_bdev_io *b
 
 	bio->orig_thread = spdk_get_thread();
 
-	return spdk_nvme_ctrlr_cmd_admin_raw(nvme_ch->ctrlr->ctrlr, cmd, buf,
+	return spdk_nvme_ctrlr_cmd_admin_raw(nvme_bdev_ctrlr->ctrlr, cmd, buf,
 					     (uint32_t)nbytes, bdev_nvme_admin_passthru_done, bio);
 }
 
diff --git a/module/bdev/nvme/common.h b/module/bdev/nvme/common.h
index c81b27082..d5e306c9d 100644
--- a/module/bdev/nvme/common.h
+++ b/module/bdev/nvme/common.h
@@ -191,6 +191,14 @@ bdev_nvme_find_io_path(struct nvme_bdev *nbdev, struct nvme_io_channel *nvme_ch,
 	return true;
 }
 
+static inline bool
+bdev_nvme_find_admin_path(struct nvme_io_channel *nvme_ch,
+			  struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr **_nvme_bdev_ctrlr)
+{
+	*_nvme_bdev_ctrlr = nvme_ch->ctrlr;
+	return true;
+}
+
 static inline struct nvme_bdev_ns *
 nvme_bdev_to_bdev_ns(struct nvme_bdev *nbdev)
 {