diff --git a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
index 96412cdd0..aa28822be 100644
--- a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
+++ b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
@@ -295,9 +295,7 @@ bdev_nvme_destruct(void *ctx)
 	struct nvme_bdev *nvme_disk = ctx;
 	struct nvme_bdev_ns *nvme_ns = nvme_disk->nvme_ns;
 
-	pthread_mutex_lock(&g_bdev_nvme_mutex);
-	TAILQ_REMOVE(&nvme_ns->bdevs, nvme_disk, tailq);
-	pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_bdev_nvme_mutex);
+	nvme_ns->bdev = NULL;
 
 	nvme_bdev_ns_detach(nvme_ns);
 
@@ -1224,7 +1222,7 @@ nvme_bdev_create(struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr *nvme_bdev_ctrlr, struct nvme_bdev_ns *n
 	}
 
 	nvme_ns->ref++;
-	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&nvme_ns->bdevs, bdev, tailq);
+	nvme_ns->bdev = bdev;
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -1347,7 +1345,7 @@ nvme_ctrlr_depopulate_standard_namespace(struct nvme_bdev_ns *nvme_ns)
 {
 	struct nvme_bdev *bdev;
 
-	bdev = TAILQ_FIRST(&nvme_ns->bdevs);
+	bdev = nvme_ns->bdev;
 	if (bdev != NULL) {
 		spdk_bdev_unregister(&bdev->disk, NULL, NULL);
 	}
@@ -1421,7 +1419,7 @@ nvme_ctrlr_populate_namespaces(struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr *nvme_bdev_ctrlr,
 			/* NS is still there but attributes may have changed */
 			ns = spdk_nvme_ctrlr_get_ns(ctrlr, nsid);
 			num_sectors = spdk_nvme_ns_get_num_sectors(ns);
-			bdev = TAILQ_FIRST(&nvme_ns->bdevs);
+			bdev = nvme_ns->bdev;
 			assert(bdev != NULL);
 			if (bdev->disk.blockcnt != num_sectors) {
 				SPDK_NOTICELOG("NSID %u is resized: bdev name %s, old size %" PRIu64 ", new size %" PRIu64 "\n",
@@ -1446,7 +1444,7 @@ nvme_ctrlr_populate_namespaces(struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr *nvme_bdev_ctrlr,
 				nvme_ns->type = NVME_BDEV_NS_STANDARD;
 			}
 
-			TAILQ_INIT(&nvme_ns->bdevs);
+			nvme_ns->bdev = NULL;
 
 			if (ctx) {
 				ctx->populates_in_progress++;
@@ -1833,7 +1831,7 @@ nvme_ctrlr_populate_namespaces_done(struct nvme_async_probe_ctx *ctx)
 			continue;
 		}
 		assert(nvme_ns->id == nsid);
-		nvme_bdev = TAILQ_FIRST(&nvme_ns->bdevs);
+		nvme_bdev = nvme_ns->bdev;
 		if (nvme_bdev == NULL) {
 			assert(nvme_ns->type == NVME_BDEV_NS_OCSSD);
 			continue;
diff --git a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_ocssd.c b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_ocssd.c
index c05f6f2a0..2ea64c8f3 100644
--- a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_ocssd.c
+++ b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_ocssd.c
@@ -124,17 +124,14 @@ bdev_ocssd_config_json(struct spdk_json_write_ctx *w)
 void
 bdev_ocssd_namespace_config_json(struct spdk_json_write_ctx *w, struct nvme_bdev_ns *nvme_ns)
 {
-	struct nvme_bdev *nvme_bdev;
-
-	nvme_bdev = TAILQ_FIRST(&nvme_ns->bdevs);
-	assert(nvme_bdev != NULL);
+	assert(nvme_ns->bdev != NULL);
 
 	spdk_json_write_object_begin(w);
 	spdk_json_write_named_string(w, "method", "bdev_ocssd_create");
 
 	spdk_json_write_named_object_begin(w, "params");
 	spdk_json_write_named_string(w, "ctrlr_name", nvme_ns->ctrlr->name);
-	spdk_json_write_named_string(w, "bdev_name", nvme_bdev->disk.name);
+	spdk_json_write_named_string(w, "bdev_name", nvme_ns->bdev->disk.name);
 	spdk_json_write_named_uint32(w, "nsid", nvme_ns->id);
 	spdk_json_write_object_end(w);
 
@@ -214,9 +211,7 @@ bdev_ocssd_destruct(void *ctx)
 	struct nvme_bdev *nvme_bdev = &ocssd_bdev->nvme_bdev;
 	struct nvme_bdev_ns *nvme_ns = nvme_bdev->nvme_ns;
 
-	pthread_mutex_lock(&g_bdev_nvme_mutex);
-	TAILQ_REMOVE(&nvme_ns->bdevs, nvme_bdev, tailq);
-	pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_bdev_nvme_mutex);
+	nvme_ns->bdev = NULL;
 
 	nvme_bdev_ns_detach(nvme_ns);
 
@@ -876,7 +871,7 @@ bdev_ocssd_free_namespace(struct nvme_bdev_ns *nvme_ns)
 {
 	struct nvme_bdev *bdev;
 
-	bdev = TAILQ_FIRST(&nvme_ns->bdevs);
+	bdev = nvme_ns->bdev;
 	if (bdev != NULL) {
 		spdk_bdev_unregister(&bdev->disk, NULL, NULL);
 	}
@@ -909,7 +904,7 @@ bdev_ocssd_push_media_events(struct nvme_bdev_ns *nvme_ns,
 		return;
 	}
 
-	nvme_bdev = TAILQ_FIRST(&nvme_ns->bdevs);
+	nvme_bdev = nvme_ns->bdev;
 	if (nvme_bdev == NULL) {
 		SPDK_INFOLOG(bdev_ocssd, "Dropping media management event\n");
 		return;
@@ -938,7 +933,7 @@ bdev_ocssd_notify_media_management(struct nvme_bdev_ns *nvme_ns)
 {
 	struct nvme_bdev *nvme_bdev;
 
-	nvme_bdev = TAILQ_FIRST(&nvme_ns->bdevs);
+	nvme_bdev = nvme_ns->bdev;
 	if (nvme_bdev != NULL) {
 		spdk_bdev_notify_media_management(&nvme_bdev->disk);
 	}
@@ -1093,7 +1088,7 @@ bdev_ocssd_register_bdev(void *ctx)
 	rc = spdk_bdev_register(&nvme_bdev->disk);
 	if (spdk_likely(rc == 0)) {
 		nvme_ns->ref++;
-		TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&nvme_ns->bdevs, nvme_bdev, tailq);
+		nvme_ns->bdev = nvme_bdev;
 	} else {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("Failed to register bdev %s\n", nvme_bdev->disk.name);
 	}
diff --git a/module/bdev/nvme/common.h b/module/bdev/nvme/common.h
index b7555d5ad..e5705fb97 100644
--- a/module/bdev/nvme/common.h
+++ b/module/bdev/nvme/common.h
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ struct nvme_bdev_ns {
 	int			ref;
 	struct spdk_nvme_ns	*ns;
 	struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr	*ctrlr;
-	TAILQ_HEAD(, nvme_bdev)	bdevs;
+	struct nvme_bdev	*bdev;
 	void			*type_ctx;
 };
 
@@ -117,7 +117,6 @@ struct nvme_bdev {
 	struct spdk_bdev	disk;
 	struct nvme_bdev_ns	*nvme_ns;
 	bool			opal;
-	TAILQ_ENTRY(nvme_bdev)	tailq;
 };
 
 struct nvme_bdev_poll_group {
diff --git a/module/bdev/nvme/vbdev_opal.c b/module/bdev/nvme/vbdev_opal.c
index 56530d0ec..2b08c6988 100644
--- a/module/bdev/nvme/vbdev_opal.c
+++ b/module/bdev/nvme/vbdev_opal.c
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ vbdev_opal_create(const char *nvme_ctrlr_name, uint32_t nsid, uint8_t locking_ra
 	opal_bdev->nvme_ctrlr = nvme_ctrlr;
 	opal_bdev->opal_dev = nvme_ctrlr->opal_dev;
 
-	nvme_bdev = TAILQ_FIRST(&nvme_ctrlr->namespaces[nsid - 1]->bdevs);
+	nvme_bdev = nvme_ctrlr->namespaces[nsid - 1]->bdev;
 	assert(nvme_bdev != NULL);
 	base_bdev_name = nvme_bdev->disk.name;
 
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c/bdev_nvme_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c/bdev_nvme_ut.c
index d553a8fd3..7db24feee 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c/bdev_nvme_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c/bdev_nvme_ut.c
@@ -1475,7 +1475,7 @@ test_aer_cb(void)
 	CU_ASSERT(nvme_bdev_ctrlr->namespaces[2]->populated == true);
 	CU_ASSERT(nvme_bdev_ctrlr->namespaces[3]->populated == true);
 
-	bdev = TAILQ_FIRST(&nvme_bdev_ctrlr->namespaces[3]->bdevs);
+	bdev = nvme_bdev_ctrlr->namespaces[3]->bdev;
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(bdev != NULL);
 	CU_ASSERT(bdev->disk.blockcnt == 1024);
 
@@ -1607,7 +1607,7 @@ test_submit_nvme_cmd(void)
 	nvme_bdev_ctrlr = nvme_bdev_ctrlr_get_by_name("nvme0");
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(nvme_bdev_ctrlr != NULL);
 
-	bdev = TAILQ_FIRST(&nvme_bdev_ctrlr->namespaces[0]->bdevs);
+	bdev = nvme_bdev_ctrlr->namespaces[0]->bdev;
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(bdev != NULL);
 
 	ch = spdk_get_io_channel(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 d2b815c6b..b7cfd60b0 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
@@ -235,7 +235,6 @@ create_nvme_bdev_controller(const struct spdk_nvme_transport_id *trid, const cha
 		nvme_bdev_ctrlr->namespaces[nsid]->id = nsid + 1;
 		nvme_bdev_ctrlr->namespaces[nsid]->ctrlr = nvme_bdev_ctrlr;
 		nvme_bdev_ctrlr->namespaces[nsid]->type = NVME_BDEV_NS_OCSSD;
-		TAILQ_INIT(&nvme_bdev_ctrlr->namespaces[nsid]->bdevs);
 
 		bdev_ocssd_populate_namespace(nvme_bdev_ctrlr, nvme_bdev_ctrlr->namespaces[nsid], NULL);
 	}