diff --git a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
index 28be06954..8f87ca0cf 100644
--- a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
+++ b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
@@ -369,7 +369,7 @@ bdev_nvme_destruct(void *ctx)
 	if (!nvme_ns->populated) {
 		pthread_mutex_unlock(&nvme_ns->ctrlr->mutex);
 
-		nvme_bdev_ctrlr_destruct(nvme_ns->ctrlr);
+		nvme_bdev_ctrlr_release(nvme_ns->ctrlr);
 	} else {
 		pthread_mutex_unlock(&nvme_ns->ctrlr->mutex);
 	}
@@ -1961,7 +1961,7 @@ _nvme_bdev_ctrlr_destruct(void *ctx)
 	struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr *nvme_bdev_ctrlr = ctx;
 
 	nvme_ctrlr_depopulate_namespaces(nvme_bdev_ctrlr);
-	nvme_bdev_ctrlr_destruct(nvme_bdev_ctrlr);
+	nvme_bdev_ctrlr_release(nvme_bdev_ctrlr);
 }
 
 static int
diff --git a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_ocssd.c b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_ocssd.c
index 62e628006..ac6fe3fcb 100644
--- a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_ocssd.c
+++ b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_ocssd.c
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ bdev_ocssd_destruct(void *ctx)
 	if (!nvme_ns->populated) {
 		pthread_mutex_unlock(&nvme_ns->ctrlr->mutex);
 
-		nvme_bdev_ctrlr_destruct(nvme_ns->ctrlr);
+		nvme_bdev_ctrlr_release(nvme_ns->ctrlr);
 	} else {
 		pthread_mutex_unlock(&nvme_ns->ctrlr->mutex);
 	}
diff --git a/module/bdev/nvme/common.c b/module/bdev/nvme/common.c
index c293d0221..94bde3b1f 100644
--- a/module/bdev/nvme/common.c
+++ b/module/bdev/nvme/common.c
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ nvme_bdev_ctrlr_unregister(void *ctx)
 }
 
 void
-nvme_bdev_ctrlr_destruct(struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr *nvme_bdev_ctrlr)
+nvme_bdev_ctrlr_release(struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr *nvme_bdev_ctrlr)
 {
 	pthread_mutex_lock(&nvme_bdev_ctrlr->mutex);
 
@@ -210,5 +210,5 @@ nvme_ctrlr_depopulate_namespace_done(struct nvme_bdev_ns *nvme_ns)
 	}
 	pthread_mutex_unlock(&nvme_bdev_ctrlr->mutex);
 
-	nvme_bdev_ctrlr_destruct(nvme_bdev_ctrlr);
+	nvme_bdev_ctrlr_release(nvme_bdev_ctrlr);
 }
diff --git a/module/bdev/nvme/common.h b/module/bdev/nvme/common.h
index c642752ff..48cea7e3a 100644
--- a/module/bdev/nvme/common.h
+++ b/module/bdev/nvme/common.h
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr *nvme_bdev_next_ctrlr(struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr *prev);
 void nvme_bdev_dump_trid_json(const struct spdk_nvme_transport_id *trid,
 			      struct spdk_json_write_ctx *w);
 
-void nvme_bdev_ctrlr_destruct(struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr *nvme_bdev_ctrlr);
+void nvme_bdev_ctrlr_release(struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr *nvme_bdev_ctrlr);
 void nvme_bdev_ctrlr_unregister(void *ctx);
 void nvme_bdev_ctrlr_delete(struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr *nvme_bdev_ctrlr);
 
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/bdev/nvme/bdev_ocssd.c/bdev_ocssd_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/bdev/nvme/bdev_ocssd.c/bdev_ocssd_ut.c
index 9937fa6ea..66f2eb8cc 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/bdev/nvme/bdev_ocssd.c/bdev_ocssd_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/bdev/nvme/bdev_ocssd.c/bdev_ocssd_ut.c
@@ -540,7 +540,7 @@ delete_nvme_bdev_controller(struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr *nvme_bdev_ctrlr)
 		bdev_ocssd_depopulate_namespace(nvme_bdev_ctrlr->namespaces[nsid]);
 	}
 
-	nvme_bdev_ctrlr_destruct(nvme_bdev_ctrlr);
+	nvme_bdev_ctrlr_release(nvme_bdev_ctrlr);
 	spdk_delay_us(1000);
 
 	while (spdk_thread_poll(g_thread, 0, 0) > 0) {}