diff --git a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
index abcc2b594a..a0dd5e0ae5 100644
--- a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
+++ b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
@@ -1927,7 +1927,7 @@ err_init_mutex:
 	return rc;
 }
 
-static void
+static int
 nvme_bdev_ctrlr_create(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr,
 		       const char *name,
 		       const struct spdk_nvme_transport_id *trid,
@@ -1940,16 +1940,11 @@ nvme_bdev_ctrlr_create(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr,
 	rc = _nvme_bdev_ctrlr_create(ctrlr, name, trid, prchk_flags, &nvme_bdev_ctrlr);
 	if (rc != 0) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("Failed to create new NVMe controller\n");
-		goto err;
+		return rc;
 	}
 
 	nvme_ctrlr_populate_namespaces(nvme_bdev_ctrlr, ctx);
-	return;
-
-err:
-	if (ctx != NULL) {
-		populate_namespaces_cb(ctx, 0, rc);
-	}
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static void
@@ -2275,11 +2270,10 @@ _bdev_nvme_add_secondary_trid(struct nvme_bdev_ctrlr *nvme_bdev_ctrlr,
  * 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
+static int
 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 nvme_async_probe_ctx *ctx)
+			     struct spdk_nvme_transport_id *trid)
 {
 	int rc;
 
@@ -2304,9 +2298,7 @@ exit:
 
 	spdk_nvme_detach(new_ctrlr);
 
-	if (ctx != NULL) {
-		populate_namespaces_cb(ctx, 0, rc);
-	}
+	return rc;
 }
 
 static void
@@ -2316,17 +2308,22 @@ 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) {
-		bdev_nvme_add_secondary_trid(nvme_bdev_ctrlr, ctrlr, &ctx->trid, ctx);
-		return;
+		rc = bdev_nvme_add_secondary_trid(nvme_bdev_ctrlr, ctrlr, &ctx->trid);
+	} else {
+		rc = nvme_bdev_ctrlr_create(ctrlr, ctx->base_name, &ctx->trid, ctx->prchk_flags, ctx);
+		if (rc == 0) {
+			return;
+		}
 	}
 
-	nvme_bdev_ctrlr_create(ctrlr, ctx->base_name, &ctx->trid, ctx->prchk_flags, ctx);
+	populate_namespaces_cb(ctx, 0, rc);
 }
 
 static int
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 a549b69f71..769a4e5987 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
@@ -1005,7 +1005,8 @@ test_create_ctrlr(void)
 
 	ut_init_trid(&trid);
 
-	nvme_bdev_ctrlr_create(&ctrlr, "nvme0", &trid, 0, NULL);
+	rc = nvme_bdev_ctrlr_create(&ctrlr, "nvme0", &trid, 0, NULL);
+	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
 
 	CU_ASSERT(nvme_bdev_ctrlr_get_by_name("nvme0") != NULL);
 
@@ -1035,7 +1036,8 @@ test_reset_ctrlr(void)
 
 	set_thread(0);
 
-	nvme_bdev_ctrlr_create(&ctrlr, "nvme0", &trid, 0, NULL);
+	rc = nvme_bdev_ctrlr_create(&ctrlr, "nvme0", &trid, 0, NULL);
+	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
 
 	nvme_bdev_ctrlr = nvme_bdev_ctrlr_get_by_name("nvme0");
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(nvme_bdev_ctrlr != NULL);
@@ -1140,7 +1142,8 @@ test_race_between_reset_and_destruct_ctrlr(void)
 
 	set_thread(0);
 
-	nvme_bdev_ctrlr_create(&ctrlr, "nvme0", &trid, 0, NULL);
+	rc = nvme_bdev_ctrlr_create(&ctrlr, "nvme0", &trid, 0, NULL);
+	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
 
 	nvme_bdev_ctrlr = nvme_bdev_ctrlr_get_by_name("nvme0");
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(nvme_bdev_ctrlr != NULL);
@@ -1216,7 +1219,8 @@ test_failover_ctrlr(void)
 
 	set_thread(0);
 
-	nvme_bdev_ctrlr_create(&ctrlr, "nvme0", &trid1, 0, NULL);
+	rc = nvme_bdev_ctrlr_create(&ctrlr, "nvme0", &trid1, 0, NULL);
+	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
 
 	nvme_bdev_ctrlr = nvme_bdev_ctrlr_get_by_name("nvme0");
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(nvme_bdev_ctrlr != NULL);
@@ -1278,7 +1282,8 @@ test_failover_ctrlr(void)
 	set_thread(0);
 
 	/* Second, test two trids case. */
-	bdev_nvme_add_secondary_trid(nvme_bdev_ctrlr, &ctrlr, &trid2, NULL);
+	rc = bdev_nvme_add_secondary_trid(nvme_bdev_ctrlr, &ctrlr, &trid2);
+	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
 
 	curr_trid = TAILQ_FIRST(&nvme_bdev_ctrlr->trids);
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(curr_trid != NULL);
@@ -1610,7 +1615,8 @@ test_reconnect_qpair(void)
 	ut_init_trid(&trid);
 	TAILQ_INIT(&ctrlr.active_io_qpairs);
 
-	nvme_bdev_ctrlr_create(&ctrlr, "nvme0", &trid, 0, NULL);
+	rc = nvme_bdev_ctrlr_create(&ctrlr, "nvme0", &trid, 0, NULL);
+	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
 
 	nvme_bdev_ctrlr = nvme_bdev_ctrlr_get_by_name("nvme0");
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(nvme_bdev_ctrlr != NULL);
@@ -1930,12 +1936,14 @@ test_remove_trid(void)
 
 	set_thread(0);
 
-	nvme_bdev_ctrlr_create(&ctrlr, "nvme0", &trid1, 0, NULL);
+	rc = nvme_bdev_ctrlr_create(&ctrlr, "nvme0", &trid1, 0, NULL);
+	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
 
 	nvme_bdev_ctrlr = nvme_bdev_ctrlr_get_by_name("nvme0");
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(nvme_bdev_ctrlr != NULL);
 
-	bdev_nvme_add_secondary_trid(nvme_bdev_ctrlr, &ctrlr, &trid2, NULL);
+	rc = bdev_nvme_add_secondary_trid(nvme_bdev_ctrlr, &ctrlr, &trid2);
+	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
 
 	/* trid3 is not in the registered list. */
 	rc = bdev_nvme_delete("nvme0", &trid3);
@@ -1949,7 +1957,8 @@ test_remove_trid(void)
 		CU_ASSERT(spdk_nvme_transport_id_compare(&ctrid->trid, &trid2) != 0);
 	}
 
-	bdev_nvme_add_secondary_trid(nvme_bdev_ctrlr, &ctrlr, &trid3, NULL);
+	rc = bdev_nvme_add_secondary_trid(nvme_bdev_ctrlr, &ctrlr, &trid3);
+	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
 
 	/* trid1 is currently used and trid3 is an alternative path.
 	 * If we remove trid1, path is changed to trid3.
@@ -1978,12 +1987,14 @@ test_remove_trid(void)
 
 	CU_ASSERT(nvme_bdev_ctrlr_get_by_name("nvme0") == NULL);
 
-	nvme_bdev_ctrlr_create(&ctrlr, "nvme0", &trid1, 0, NULL);
+	rc = nvme_bdev_ctrlr_create(&ctrlr, "nvme0", &trid1, 0, NULL);
+	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
 
 	nvme_bdev_ctrlr = nvme_bdev_ctrlr_get_by_name("nvme0");
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(nvme_bdev_ctrlr != NULL);
 
-	bdev_nvme_add_secondary_trid(nvme_bdev_ctrlr, &ctrlr, &trid2, NULL);
+	rc = bdev_nvme_add_secondary_trid(nvme_bdev_ctrlr, &ctrlr, &trid2);
+	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
 
 	/* If trid is not specified, nvme_bdev_ctrlr itself is removed. */
 	rc = bdev_nvme_delete("nvme0", NULL);
@@ -2194,7 +2205,8 @@ test_get_io_qpair(void)
 
 	set_thread(0);
 
-	nvme_bdev_ctrlr_create(&ctrlr, "nvme0", &trid, 0, NULL);
+	rc = nvme_bdev_ctrlr_create(&ctrlr, "nvme0", &trid, 0, NULL);
+	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
 
 	nvme_bdev_ctrlr = nvme_bdev_ctrlr_get_by_name("nvme0");
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(nvme_bdev_ctrlr != NULL);