diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
index a8de5f8b98..5d71f5ebcf 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
@@ -1190,8 +1190,6 @@ nvme_ctrlr_destruct(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr)
 	while (!TAILQ_EMPTY(&ctrlr->active_io_qpairs)) {
 		struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair = TAILQ_FIRST(&ctrlr->active_io_qpairs);
 
-		nvme_qpair_destroy(qpair);
-
 		spdk_nvme_ctrlr_free_io_qpair(qpair);
 	}
 
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie.c
index b4fbaadf11..dce9475fed 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie.c
@@ -1265,6 +1265,7 @@ nvme_pcie_ctrlr_delete_io_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, struct spdk_nvme_
 		return -1;
 	}
 
+	nvme_qpair_destroy(qpair);
 	spdk_free(pqpair);
 
 	return 0;