diff --git a/test/spdkcli/common.sh b/test/spdkcli/common.sh
index aa54110fc..263d96bf9 100644
--- a/test/spdkcli/common.sh
+++ b/test/spdkcli/common.sh
@@ -45,3 +45,7 @@ function check_match() {
 	$rootdir/test/app/match/match $testdir/match_files/${MATCH_FILE}.match
 	rm -f $testdir/match_files/${MATCH_FILE}
 }
+
+function wait_for_all_nvme_ctrls_to_detach() {
+	while (($(rpc_cmd bdev_nvme_get_controllers | jq '.|length') != 0)); do :; done
+}
diff --git a/test/spdkcli/vhost.sh b/test/spdkcli/vhost.sh
index 5507a9e6f..5901916ea 100755
--- a/test/spdkcli/vhost.sh
+++ b/test/spdkcli/vhost.sh
@@ -131,8 +131,11 @@ $spdkcli_job "'load_config $testdir/config.json'
 "
 check_match
 $spdk_clear_config_py clear_config
-# FIXME: remove this sleep when NVMe driver will be fixed to wait for reset to complete
-sleep 2
+
+# Make sure we wait long enough for the nvme ctrl to disappear, otherwise
+# we are at risk of hitting -EPERM while loading bdev configuration.
+xtrace_disable_per_cmd wait_for_all_nvme_ctrls_to_detach
+
 $spdkcli_job "'load_subsystem_config $testdir/config_bdev.json'
 'load_subsystem_config $testdir/config_vhost_scsi.json'
 'load_subsystem_config $testdir/config_vhost_blk.json'