diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h b/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
index 7cd7cfa72d..1bdaa86977 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
@@ -959,6 +959,7 @@ uint64_t nvme_get_quirks(const struct spdk_pci_id *id);
 int	nvme_robust_mutex_init_shared(pthread_mutex_t *mtx);
 int	nvme_robust_mutex_init_recursive_shared(pthread_mutex_t *mtx);
 
+const char *spdk_nvme_cpl_get_status_string(const struct spdk_nvme_status *status);
 bool	nvme_completion_is_retry(const struct spdk_nvme_cpl *cpl);
 void	nvme_qpair_print_command(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair, struct spdk_nvme_cmd *cmd);
 void	nvme_qpair_print_completion(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair, struct spdk_nvme_cpl *cpl);
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c
index 9f585798ea..7475fc2efd 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c
@@ -269,12 +269,12 @@ static const struct nvme_string path_status[] = {
 	{ 0xFFFF, "PATH ERROR" }
 };
 
-static const char *
-get_status_string(uint16_t sct, uint16_t sc)
+const char *
+spdk_nvme_cpl_get_status_string(const struct spdk_nvme_status *status)
 {
 	const struct nvme_string *entry;
 
-	switch (sct) {
+	switch (status->sct) {
 	case SPDK_NVME_SCT_GENERIC:
 		entry = generic_status;
 		break;
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ get_status_string(uint16_t sct, uint16_t sc)
 		return "RESERVED";
 	}
 
-	return nvme_get_string(entry, sc);
+	return nvme_get_string(entry, status->sc);
 }
 
 void
@@ -301,7 +301,7 @@ nvme_qpair_print_completion(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair,
 			    struct spdk_nvme_cpl *cpl)
 {
 	SPDK_NOTICELOG("%s (%02x/%02x) sqid:%d cid:%d cdw0:%x sqhd:%04x p:%x m:%x dnr:%x\n",
-		       get_status_string(cpl->status.sct, cpl->status.sc),
+		       spdk_nvme_cpl_get_status_string(&cpl->status),
 		       cpl->status.sct, cpl->status.sc, cpl->sqid, cpl->cid, cpl->cdw0,
 		       cpl->sqhd, cpl->status.p, cpl->status.m, cpl->status.dnr);
 }
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 c39ae79289..ec44d526b7 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
@@ -300,21 +300,31 @@ static void
 test_get_status_string(void)
 {
 	const char	*status_string;
+	struct spdk_nvme_status status;
 
-	status_string = get_status_string(SPDK_NVME_SCT_GENERIC, SPDK_NVME_SC_SUCCESS);
+	status.sct = SPDK_NVME_SCT_GENERIC;
+	status.sc = SPDK_NVME_SC_SUCCESS;
+	status_string = spdk_nvme_cpl_get_status_string(&status);
 	CU_ASSERT(strcmp(status_string, "SUCCESS") == 0);
 
-	status_string = get_status_string(SPDK_NVME_SCT_COMMAND_SPECIFIC,
-					  SPDK_NVME_SC_COMPLETION_QUEUE_INVALID);
+	status.sct = SPDK_NVME_SCT_COMMAND_SPECIFIC;
+	status.sc = SPDK_NVME_SC_COMPLETION_QUEUE_INVALID;
+	status_string = spdk_nvme_cpl_get_status_string(&status);
 	CU_ASSERT(strcmp(status_string, "INVALID COMPLETION QUEUE") == 0);
 
-	status_string = get_status_string(SPDK_NVME_SCT_MEDIA_ERROR, SPDK_NVME_SC_UNRECOVERED_READ_ERROR);
+	status.sct = SPDK_NVME_SCT_MEDIA_ERROR;
+	status.sc = SPDK_NVME_SC_UNRECOVERED_READ_ERROR;
+	status_string = spdk_nvme_cpl_get_status_string(&status);
 	CU_ASSERT(strcmp(status_string, "UNRECOVERED READ ERROR") == 0);
 
-	status_string = get_status_string(SPDK_NVME_SCT_VENDOR_SPECIFIC, 0);
+	status.sct = SPDK_NVME_SCT_VENDOR_SPECIFIC;
+	status.sc = 0;
+	status_string = spdk_nvme_cpl_get_status_string(&status);
 	CU_ASSERT(strcmp(status_string, "VENDOR SPECIFIC") == 0);
 
-	status_string = get_status_string(100, 0);
+	status.sct = 0x4;
+	status.sc = 0;
+	status_string = spdk_nvme_cpl_get_status_string(&status);
 	CU_ASSERT(strcmp(status_string, "RESERVED") == 0);
 }
 #endif