diff --git a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
index 3ee7dae653..86e2b16a50 100644
--- a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
+++ b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
@@ -2192,10 +2192,15 @@ _bdev_nvme_add_secondary_trid(struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr *nvme_bdev_ctrlr,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int
+/* This is the case that a secondary path is added to an existing
+ * nvme_bdev_ctrlr for failover. After checking if it can access the same
+ * namespaces as the primary path, it is disconnected until failover occurs.
+ */
+static void
 bdev_nvme_add_secondary_trid(struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr *nvme_bdev_ctrlr,
 			     struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *new_ctrlr,
-			     struct spdk_nvme_transport_id *trid)
+			     struct spdk_nvme_transport_id *trid,
+			     struct nvme_async_probe_ctx *ctx)
 {
 	int rc;
 
@@ -2217,7 +2222,12 @@ bdev_nvme_add_secondary_trid(struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr *nvme_bdev_ctrlr,
 
 exit:
 	pthread_mutex_unlock(&nvme_bdev_ctrlr->mutex);
-	return rc;
+
+	spdk_nvme_detach(new_ctrlr);
+
+	if (ctx != NULL) {
+		populate_namespaces_cb(ctx, 0, rc);
+	}
 }
 
 static void
@@ -2227,22 +2237,13 @@ connect_attach_cb(void *cb_ctx, const struct spdk_nvme_transport_id *trid,
 	struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr_opts *user_opts = cb_ctx;
 	struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr	*nvme_bdev_ctrlr;
 	struct nvme_async_probe_ctx *ctx;
-	int rc;
 
 	ctx = SPDK_CONTAINEROF(user_opts, struct nvme_async_probe_ctx, opts);
 	ctx->ctrlr_attached = true;
 
 	nvme_bdev_ctrlr = nvme_bdev_ctrlr_get_by_name(ctx->base_name);
 	if (nvme_bdev_ctrlr) {
-		/* This is the case that a secondary path is added to an existing
-		 * nvme_bdev_ctrlr for failover. After checking if it can access the same
-		 * namespaces as the primary path, it is disconnected until failover occurs.
-		 */
-		rc = bdev_nvme_add_secondary_trid(nvme_bdev_ctrlr, ctrlr, &ctx->trid);
-
-		spdk_nvme_detach(ctrlr);
-
-		populate_namespaces_cb(ctx, 0, rc);
+		bdev_nvme_add_secondary_trid(nvme_bdev_ctrlr, ctrlr, &ctx->trid, ctx);
 		return;
 	}
 
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 c334795aae..f7bf6ca4f1 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
@@ -1235,8 +1235,7 @@ test_failover_ctrlr(void)
 	set_thread(0);
 
 	/* Second, test two trids case. */
-	rc = bdev_nvme_add_secondary_trid(nvme_bdev_ctrlr, &ctrlr, &trid2);
-	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
+	bdev_nvme_add_secondary_trid(nvme_bdev_ctrlr, &ctrlr, &trid2, NULL);
 
 	curr_trid = TAILQ_FIRST(&nvme_bdev_ctrlr->trids);
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(curr_trid != NULL);
@@ -1879,8 +1878,7 @@ test_remove_trid(void)
 	nvme_bdev_ctrlr = nvme_bdev_ctrlr_get_by_name("nvme0");
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(nvme_bdev_ctrlr != NULL);
 
-	rc = bdev_nvme_add_secondary_trid(nvme_bdev_ctrlr, &ctrlr, &trid2);
-	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
+	bdev_nvme_add_secondary_trid(nvme_bdev_ctrlr, &ctrlr, &trid2, NULL);
 
 	/* trid3 is not in the registered list. */
 	rc = bdev_nvme_delete("nvme0", &trid3);
@@ -1894,8 +1892,7 @@ test_remove_trid(void)
 		CU_ASSERT(spdk_nvme_transport_id_compare(&ctrid->trid, &trid2) != 0);
 	}
 
-	rc = bdev_nvme_add_secondary_trid(nvme_bdev_ctrlr, &ctrlr, &trid3);
-	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
+	bdev_nvme_add_secondary_trid(nvme_bdev_ctrlr, &ctrlr, &trid3, NULL);
 
 	/* trid1 is currently used and trid3 is an alternative path.
 	 * If we remove trid1, path is changed to trid3.
@@ -1929,8 +1926,7 @@ test_remove_trid(void)
 	nvme_bdev_ctrlr = nvme_bdev_ctrlr_get_by_name("nvme0");
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(nvme_bdev_ctrlr != NULL);
 
-	rc = bdev_nvme_add_secondary_trid(nvme_bdev_ctrlr, &ctrlr, &trid2);
-	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
+	bdev_nvme_add_secondary_trid(nvme_bdev_ctrlr, &ctrlr, &trid2, NULL);
 
 	/* If trid is not specified, nvme_bdev_ctrlr itself is removed. */
 	rc = bdev_nvme_delete("nvme0", NULL);