diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
index 9dd453037d..4a106a3551 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
@@ -535,6 +535,8 @@ spdk_nvme_ctrlr_free_io_qpair(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
 		spdk_nvme_poll_group_remove(qpair->poll_group->group, qpair);
 	}
 
+	/* Do not retry. */
+	nvme_qpair_abort_reqs(qpair, 1);
 	nvme_robust_mutex_lock(&ctrlr->ctrlr_lock);
 
 	nvme_ctrlr_proc_remove_io_qpair(qpair);
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h b/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
index e31ff4c0ad..74c4beffd1 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
@@ -913,6 +913,7 @@ void	nvme_qpair_deinit(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair);
 void	nvme_qpair_complete_error_reqs(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair);
 int	nvme_qpair_submit_request(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair,
 				  struct nvme_request *req);
+void	nvme_qpair_abort_reqs(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair, uint32_t dnr);
 
 int	nvme_ctrlr_identify_active_ns(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr);
 void	nvme_ns_set_identify_data(struct spdk_nvme_ns *ns);
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c
index a8b67a69da..b5562a7134 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_qpair.c
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@
 #include "nvme_internal.h"
 #include "spdk/nvme_ocssd.h"
 
-static void nvme_qpair_abort_reqs(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair, uint32_t dnr);
 static int nvme_qpair_resubmit_request(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair, struct nvme_request *req);
 
 struct nvme_string {
@@ -751,7 +750,7 @@ nvme_qpair_resubmit_request(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair, struct nvme_request *
 	return rc;
 }
 
-static void
+void
 nvme_qpair_abort_reqs(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair, uint32_t dnr)
 {
 	nvme_qpair_abort_queued_reqs(qpair, dnr);
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 b11cf31d89..cbba3a42ff 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
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ DEFINE_STUB(nvme_ctrlr_cmd_set_host_id, int,
 	    (struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, void *host_id, uint32_t host_id_size,
 	     spdk_nvme_cmd_cb cb_fn, void *cb_arg), 0);
 DEFINE_STUB_V(nvme_ns_set_identify_data, (struct spdk_nvme_ns *ns));
+DEFINE_STUB_V(nvme_qpair_abort_reqs, (struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair, uint32_t dnr));
 DEFINE_STUB(spdk_nvme_poll_group_remove, int, (struct spdk_nvme_poll_group *group,
 		struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair), 0);