diff --git a/lib/nvmf/ctrlr.c b/lib/nvmf/ctrlr.c
index d5b33f559..bbc0591a9 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/ctrlr.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/ctrlr.c
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 #include "nvmf_internal.h"
 #include "transport.h"
 
+#include "spdk/bit_array.h"
 #include "spdk/endian.h"
 #include "spdk/io_channel.h"
 #include "spdk/trace.h"
@@ -76,24 +77,24 @@ ctrlr_add_qpair_and_update_rsp(struct spdk_nvmf_qpair *qpair,
 			       struct spdk_nvmf_ctrlr *ctrlr,
 			       struct spdk_nvmf_fabric_connect_rsp *rsp)
 {
-	if (spdk_nvmf_ctrlr_get_qpair(ctrlr, qpair->qid)) {
-		SPDK_ERRLOG("Got I/O connect with duplicate QID %u\n", qpair->qid);
-		rsp->status.sct = SPDK_NVME_SCT_COMMAND_SPECIFIC;
-		rsp->status.sc = SPDK_NVME_SC_INVALID_QUEUE_IDENTIFIER;
-		return;
-	}
-
-	/* check if we would exceed ctrlr connection limit */
-	if (ctrlr->num_qpairs >= ctrlr->max_qpairs_allowed) {
+	if (qpair->qid >= spdk_bit_array_capacity(ctrlr->qpair_mask)) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("qpair limit %d\n", ctrlr->num_qpairs);
 		rsp->status.sct = SPDK_NVME_SCT_COMMAND_SPECIFIC;
 		rsp->status.sc = SPDK_NVME_SC_INVALID_QUEUE_IDENTIFIER;
 		return;
 	}
 
+	/* check if we would exceed ctrlr connection limit */
+	if (spdk_bit_array_get(ctrlr->qpair_mask, qpair->qid)) {
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("Got I/O connect with duplicate QID %u\n", qpair->qid);
+		rsp->status.sct = SPDK_NVME_SCT_COMMAND_SPECIFIC;
+		rsp->status.sc = SPDK_NVME_SC_INVALID_QUEUE_IDENTIFIER;
+		return;
+	}
 
 	qpair->ctrlr = ctrlr;
 	ctrlr->num_qpairs++;
+	spdk_bit_array_set(ctrlr->qpair_mask, qpair->qid);
 	TAILQ_INSERT_HEAD(&ctrlr->qpairs, qpair, link);
 
 	rsp->status.sc = SPDK_NVME_SC_SUCCESS;
@@ -164,15 +165,21 @@ spdk_nvmf_ctrlr_create(struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *subsystem,
 	TAILQ_INIT(&ctrlr->qpairs);
 	ctrlr->num_qpairs = 0;
 	ctrlr->subsys = subsystem;
-	ctrlr->max_qpairs_allowed = tgt->opts.max_qpairs_per_ctrlr;
+
+	ctrlr->qpair_mask = spdk_bit_array_create(tgt->opts.max_qpairs_per_ctrlr);
+	if (!ctrlr->qpair_mask) {
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("Failed to allocate controller qpair mask\n");
+		free(ctrlr);
+		return NULL;
+	}
 
 	ctrlr->feat.keep_alive_timer.bits.kato = connect_cmd->kato;
 	ctrlr->feat.async_event_configuration.bits.ns_attr_notice = 1;
 	ctrlr->feat.volatile_write_cache.bits.wce = 1;
 
 	/* Subtract 1 for admin queue, 1 for 0's based */
-	ctrlr->feat.number_of_queues.bits.ncqr = ctrlr->max_qpairs_allowed - 1 - 1;
-	ctrlr->feat.number_of_queues.bits.nsqr = ctrlr->max_qpairs_allowed - 1 - 1;
+	ctrlr->feat.number_of_queues.bits.ncqr = tgt->opts.max_qpairs_per_ctrlr - 1 - 1;
+	ctrlr->feat.number_of_queues.bits.nsqr = tgt->opts.max_qpairs_per_ctrlr - 1 - 1;
 
 	memcpy(ctrlr->hostid, connect_data->hostid, sizeof(ctrlr->hostid));
 
@@ -215,9 +222,12 @@ spdk_nvmf_ctrlr_destruct(struct spdk_nvmf_ctrlr *ctrlr)
 
 		TAILQ_REMOVE(&ctrlr->qpairs, qpair, link);
 		ctrlr->num_qpairs--;
+		spdk_bit_array_clear(ctrlr->qpair_mask, qpair->qid);
 		spdk_nvmf_transport_qpair_fini(qpair);
 	}
 
+	spdk_bit_array_free(&ctrlr->qpair_mask);
+
 	spdk_nvmf_subsystem_remove_ctrlr(ctrlr->subsys, ctrlr);
 
 	free(ctrlr);
@@ -443,6 +453,7 @@ _spdk_nvmf_ctrlr_remove_qpair(void *ctx)
 
 	TAILQ_REMOVE(&ctrlr->qpairs, qpair, link);
 	ctrlr->num_qpairs--;
+	spdk_bit_array_clear(ctrlr->qpair_mask, qpair->qid);
 
 	/* Send a message to the thread that owns the qpair and destroy it. */
 	qpair->ctrlr = NULL;
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/nvmf_internal.h b/lib/nvmf/nvmf_internal.h
index e33003486..26398d1cb 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/nvmf_internal.h
+++ b/lib/nvmf/nvmf_internal.h
@@ -201,9 +201,11 @@ struct spdk_nvmf_ctrlr {
 	struct spdk_nvmf_ctrlr_feat feat;
 
 	struct spdk_nvmf_qpair *admin_qpair;
+
 	TAILQ_HEAD(, spdk_nvmf_qpair) qpairs;
 	int num_qpairs;
-	int max_qpairs_allowed;
+	struct spdk_bit_array *qpair_mask;
+
 	struct spdk_nvmf_request *aer_req;
 	union spdk_nvme_async_event_completion notice_event;
 	uint8_t hostid[16];
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/ctrlr.c/ctrlr_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/ctrlr.c/ctrlr_ut.c
index e27a05e7d..0b6ee6ba6 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/ctrlr.c/ctrlr_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/ctrlr.c/ctrlr_ut.c
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 #include "spdk_cunit.h"
 #include "spdk_internal/mock.h"
 
+#include "common/lib/test_env.c"
 #include "nvmf/ctrlr.c"
 
 SPDK_LOG_REGISTER_COMPONENT("nvmf", SPDK_LOG_NVMF)
@@ -279,10 +280,11 @@ test_connect(void)
 	memset(&ctrlr, 0, sizeof(ctrlr));
 	TAILQ_INIT(&ctrlr.qpairs);
 	ctrlr.subsys = &subsystem;
+	ctrlr.qpair_mask = spdk_bit_array_create(3);
+	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(ctrlr.qpair_mask != NULL);
 	ctrlr.vcprop.cc.bits.en = 1;
 	ctrlr.vcprop.cc.bits.iosqes = 6;
 	ctrlr.vcprop.cc.bits.iocqes = 4;
-	ctrlr.max_qpairs_allowed = 3;
 
 	memset(&admin_qpair, 0, sizeof(admin_qpair));
 	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&ctrlr.qpairs, &admin_qpair, link);
@@ -339,6 +341,7 @@ test_connect(void)
 	CU_ASSERT(rc == SPDK_NVMF_REQUEST_EXEC_STATUS_ASYNCHRONOUS);
 	CU_ASSERT(nvme_status_success(&rsp.nvme_cpl.status));
 	CU_ASSERT(qpair.ctrlr != NULL);
+	spdk_bit_array_free(&qpair.ctrlr->qpair_mask);
 	free(qpair.ctrlr);
 	qpair.ctrlr = NULL;
 
@@ -535,6 +538,7 @@ test_connect(void)
 	qpair2.group = &group;
 	qpair2.qid = 1;
 	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&ctrlr.qpairs, &qpair, link);
+	spdk_bit_array_set(ctrlr.qpair_mask, 1);
 	cmd.connect_cmd.qid = 1;
 	rc = spdk_nvmf_ctrlr_connect(&req);
 	CU_ASSERT(rc == SPDK_NVMF_REQUEST_EXEC_STATUS_ASYNCHRONOUS);
@@ -546,6 +550,8 @@ test_connect(void)
 	/* Clean up globals */
 	MOCK_SET(spdk_nvmf_tgt_find_subsystem, struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *, NULL);
 	MOCK_SET(spdk_nvmf_poll_group_create, struct spdk_nvmf_poll_group *, NULL);
+
+	spdk_bit_array_free(&ctrlr.qpair_mask);
 }
 
 static void