diff --git a/include/spdk_internal/nvme_tcp.h b/include/spdk_internal/nvme_tcp.h
index 99f12b371..b9b765d33 100644
--- a/include/spdk_internal/nvme_tcp.h
+++ b/include/spdk_internal/nvme_tcp.h
@@ -153,9 +153,10 @@ enum nvme_tcp_error_codes {
 
 enum nvme_tcp_qpair_state {
 	NVME_TCP_QPAIR_STATE_INVALID = 0,
-	NVME_TCP_QPAIR_STATE_RUNNING = 1,
-	NVME_TCP_QPAIR_STATE_EXITING = 2,
-	NVME_TCP_QPAIR_STATE_EXITED = 3,
+	NVME_TCP_QPAIR_STATE_INITIALIZING = 1,
+	NVME_TCP_QPAIR_STATE_RUNNING = 2,
+	NVME_TCP_QPAIR_STATE_EXITING = 3,
+	NVME_TCP_QPAIR_STATE_EXITED = 4,
 };
 
 static uint32_t
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/tcp.c b/lib/nvmf/tcp.c
index 7138f149a..63953d28d 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/tcp.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/tcp.c
@@ -1760,6 +1760,7 @@ spdk_nvmf_tcp_icreq_handle(struct spdk_nvmf_tcp_transport *ttransport,
 	SPDK_DEBUGLOG(SPDK_LOG_NVMF_TCP, "host_hdgst_enable: %u\n", tqpair->host_hdgst_enable);
 	SPDK_DEBUGLOG(SPDK_LOG_NVMF_TCP, "host_ddgst_enable: %u\n", tqpair->host_ddgst_enable);
 
+	tqpair->state = NVME_TCP_QPAIR_STATE_INITIALIZING;
 	spdk_nvmf_tcp_qpair_write_pdu(tqpair, rsp_pdu, spdk_nvmf_tcp_send_icresp_complete, tqpair);
 	spdk_nvmf_tcp_qpair_set_recv_state(tqpair, NVME_TCP_PDU_RECV_STATE_AWAIT_PDU_READY);
 	return;
@@ -2011,6 +2012,10 @@ spdk_nvmf_tcp_sock_process(struct spdk_nvmf_tcp_qpair *tqpair)
 		/* Wait for the common header  */
 		case NVME_TCP_PDU_RECV_STATE_AWAIT_PDU_READY:
 		case NVME_TCP_PDU_RECV_STATE_AWAIT_PDU_CH:
+			if (spdk_unlikely(tqpair->state == NVME_TCP_QPAIR_STATE_INITIALIZING)) {
+				return rc;
+			}
+
 			if (!tqpair->pdu_recv_buf.remain_size) {
 				rc = nvme_tcp_recv_buf_read(tqpair->sock, &tqpair->pdu_recv_buf);
 				if (rc <= 0) {