diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c
index a024b3344..5a2c946fe 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c
@@ -454,7 +454,7 @@ spdk_nvme_qpair_process_completions(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair, uint32_t max_
 	ret = nvme_transport_qpair_process_completions(qpair, max_completions);
 	if (ret < 0) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("CQ error, abort requests after transport retry counter exceeded\n");
-		qpair->ctrlr->is_failed = true;
+		nvme_ctrlr_fail(qpair->ctrlr, false);
 	}
 	qpair->in_completion_context = 0;
 	if (qpair->delete_after_completion_context) {
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c/nvme_qpair_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c/nvme_qpair_ut.c
index 48a3a76e9..3adcc76b5 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c/nvme_qpair_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c/nvme_qpair_ut.c
@@ -48,6 +48,15 @@ struct nvme_driver _g_nvme_driver = {
 	.lock = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER,
 };
 
+void
+nvme_ctrlr_fail(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, bool hot_remove)
+{
+	if (hot_remove) {
+		ctrlr->is_removed = true;
+	}
+	ctrlr->is_failed = true;
+}
+
 void
 nvme_transport_qpair_abort_reqs(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair, uint32_t dnr)
 {