diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
index 8d3e352379..4cac0e0dc9 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
@@ -408,7 +408,7 @@ spdk_nvme_ctrlr_reconnect_io_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	if (!qpair->transport_qp_is_failed) {
+	if (!nvme_qpair_state_equals(qpair, NVME_QPAIR_DISABLED)) {
 		rc = 0;
 		goto out;
 	}
@@ -419,12 +419,10 @@ spdk_nvme_ctrlr_reconnect_io_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
 	rc = nvme_transport_ctrlr_connect_qpair(ctrlr, qpair);
 	if (rc) {
 		nvme_qpair_set_state(qpair, NVME_QPAIR_DISABLED);
-		qpair->transport_qp_is_failed = true;
 		rc = -EAGAIN;
 		goto out;
 	}
 	nvme_qpair_set_state(qpair, NVME_QPAIR_CONNECTED);
-	qpair->transport_qp_is_failed = false;
 
 out:
 	nvme_robust_mutex_unlock(&ctrlr->ctrlr_lock);
@@ -1079,7 +1077,6 @@ spdk_nvme_ctrlr_reset(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr)
 	/* Disable all queues before disabling the controller hardware. */
 	TAILQ_FOREACH(qpair, &ctrlr->active_io_qpairs, tailq) {
 		nvme_qpair_set_state(qpair, NVME_QPAIR_DISABLED);
-		qpair->transport_qp_is_failed = true;
 	}
 	nvme_qpair_set_state(ctrlr->adminq, NVME_QPAIR_DISABLED);
 	nvme_qpair_complete_error_reqs(ctrlr->adminq);
@@ -1124,7 +1121,6 @@ spdk_nvme_ctrlr_reset(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr)
 				continue;
 			}
 			nvme_qpair_set_state(qpair, NVME_QPAIR_CONNECTED);
-			qpair->transport_qp_is_failed = false;
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h b/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
index 83a5e6244f..f71510f3a8 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
@@ -356,8 +356,6 @@ struct spdk_nvme_qpair {
 	uint8_t				in_completion_context : 1;
 	uint8_t				delete_after_completion_context: 1;
 
-	uint8_t				transport_qp_is_failed: 1;
-
 	/*
 	 * Set when no deletion notification is needed. For example, the process
 	 * which allocated this qpair exited unexpectedly.
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c
index ec743b78a2..ff268b11ed 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c
@@ -448,10 +448,6 @@ spdk_nvme_qpair_process_completions(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair, uint32_t max_
 		return -ENXIO;
 	}
 
-	if (spdk_unlikely(qpair->transport_qp_is_failed == true)) {
-		return -ENXIO;
-	}
-
 	if (spdk_unlikely(!nvme_qpair_check_enabled(qpair) &&
 			  !nvme_qpair_state_equals(qpair, NVME_QPAIR_CONNECTING))) {
 		/*
@@ -708,10 +704,6 @@ nvme_qpair_submit_request(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair, struct nvme_request *re
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	if (spdk_unlikely(qpair->transport_qp_is_failed == true)) {
-		return -ENXIO;
-	}
-
 	rc = _nvme_qpair_submit_request(qpair, req);
 	if (rc == -EAGAIN) {
 		STAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&qpair->queued_req, req, stailq);
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c
index f64f384c5a..11b6b4994c 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c
@@ -288,13 +288,13 @@ nvme_rdma_qpair_process_cm_event(struct nvme_rdma_qpair *rqpair)
 			break;
 		case RDMA_CM_EVENT_DISCONNECTED:
 		case RDMA_CM_EVENT_DEVICE_REMOVAL:
-			rqpair->qpair.transport_qp_is_failed = true;
+			nvme_qpair_set_state(&rqpair->qpair, NVME_QPAIR_DISABLED);
 			break;
 		case RDMA_CM_EVENT_MULTICAST_JOIN:
 		case RDMA_CM_EVENT_MULTICAST_ERROR:
 			break;
 		case RDMA_CM_EVENT_ADDR_CHANGE:
-			rqpair->qpair.transport_qp_is_failed = true;
+			nvme_qpair_set_state(&rqpair->qpair, NVME_QPAIR_DISABLED);
 			break;
 		case RDMA_CM_EVENT_TIMEWAIT_EXIT:
 			break;
@@ -1058,10 +1058,9 @@ nvme_rdma_qpair_connect(struct nvme_rdma_qpair *rqpair)
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	rqpair->qpair.transport_qp_is_failed = false;
 	rc = nvme_fabric_qpair_connect(&rqpair->qpair, rqpair->num_entries);
 	if (rc < 0) {
-		rqpair->qpair.transport_qp_is_failed = true;
+		nvme_qpair_set_state(&rqpair->qpair, NVME_QPAIR_DISABLED);
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("Failed to send an NVMe-oF Fabric CONNECT command\n");
 		return -1;
 	}
@@ -1514,7 +1513,7 @@ nvme_rdma_qpair_disconnect(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
 {
 	struct nvme_rdma_qpair *rqpair = nvme_rdma_qpair(qpair);
 
-	qpair->transport_qp_is_failed = true;
+	nvme_qpair_set_state(qpair, NVME_QPAIR_DISABLED);
 	nvme_rdma_unregister_mem(rqpair);
 	nvme_rdma_unregister_reqs(rqpair);
 	nvme_rdma_unregister_rsps(rqpair);
@@ -1895,7 +1894,7 @@ nvme_rdma_qpair_process_completions(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair,
 	}
 	nvme_rdma_qpair_process_cm_event(rqpair);
 
-	if (spdk_unlikely(qpair->transport_qp_is_failed)) {
+	if (spdk_unlikely(nvme_qpair_state_equals(qpair, NVME_QPAIR_DISABLED))) {
 		goto fail;
 	}
 
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_tcp.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_tcp.c
index c9fe52a2e9..207451b961 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_tcp.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_tcp.c
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ nvme_tcp_qpair_disconnect(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
 	struct nvme_tcp_qpair *tqpair = nvme_tcp_qpair(qpair);
 	struct nvme_tcp_pdu *pdu;
 
-	qpair->transport_qp_is_failed = true;
+	nvme_qpair_set_state(qpair, NVME_QPAIR_DISABLED);
 	spdk_sock_close(&tqpair->sock);
 
 	/* clear the send_queue */
@@ -1624,10 +1624,9 @@ nvme_tcp_qpair_connect(struct nvme_tcp_qpair *tqpair)
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	tqpair->qpair.transport_qp_is_failed = false;
 	rc = nvme_fabric_qpair_connect(&tqpair->qpair, tqpair->num_entries);
 	if (rc < 0) {
-		tqpair->qpair.transport_qp_is_failed = true;
+		nvme_qpair_set_state(&tqpair->qpair, NVME_QPAIR_DISABLED);
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("Failed to send an NVMe-oF Fabric CONNECT command\n");
 		return -1;
 	}
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c/nvme_ctrlr_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c/nvme_ctrlr_ut.c
index 3f7a9df41c..53446c32fe 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c/nvme_ctrlr_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c/nvme_ctrlr_ut.c
@@ -1468,14 +1468,14 @@ test_spdk_nvme_ctrlr_reconnect_io_qpair(void)
 
 	/* qpair not failed. Make sure we don't call down to the transport */
 	ctrlr.is_failed = 0;
-	qpair.transport_qp_is_failed = false;
+	qpair.state = NVME_QPAIR_CONNECTED;
 	g_connect_qpair_called = false;
 	rc = spdk_nvme_ctrlr_reconnect_io_qpair(&qpair);
 	CU_ASSERT(g_connect_qpair_called == false);
 	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0)
 
 	/* transport qpair is failed. make sure we call down to the transport */
-	qpair.transport_qp_is_failed = true;
+	qpair.state = NVME_QPAIR_DISABLED;
 	rc = spdk_nvme_ctrlr_reconnect_io_qpair(&qpair);
 	CU_ASSERT(g_connect_qpair_called == true);
 	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0)
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 e1be64a7c7..c52f550380 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
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ static void test_nvme_qpair_process_completions(void)
 	/* Same if the qpair is failed at the transport layer. */
 	ctrlr.is_failed = false;
 	ctrlr.is_removed = false;
-	qpair.transport_qp_is_failed = true;
+	qpair.state = NVME_QPAIR_DISABLED;
 	rc = spdk_nvme_qpair_process_completions(&qpair, 0);
 	CU_ASSERT(rc == -ENXIO);
 	CU_ASSERT(!STAILQ_EMPTY(&qpair.queued_req));
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ static void test_nvme_qpair_process_completions(void)
 	/* If the controller is removed, make sure we abort the requests. */
 	ctrlr.is_failed = true;
 	ctrlr.is_removed = true;
-	qpair.transport_qp_is_failed = false;
+	qpair.state = NVME_QPAIR_CONNECTED;
 	rc = spdk_nvme_qpair_process_completions(&qpair, 0);
 	CU_ASSERT(rc == -ENXIO);
 	CU_ASSERT(STAILQ_EMPTY(&qpair.queued_req));