diff --git a/include/spdk/nvme.h b/include/spdk/nvme.h
index b08c35c95c..86b0d0e85f 100644
--- a/include/spdk/nvme.h
+++ b/include/spdk/nvme.h
@@ -421,6 +421,8 @@ struct spdk_nvme_qpair;
 /**
  * Signature for the callback function invoked when a timeout is
  * detected on a request.
+ * For timeouts detected on the admin queue pair, the qpair returned
+ * here will be NULL.
  */
 typedef void (*spdk_nvme_timeout_cb)(void *cb_arg,
 				     struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr,
@@ -592,6 +594,7 @@ int spdk_nvme_ctrlr_cmd_get_log_page(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr,
  *
  * \param ctrlr NVMe controller to which the command was submitted.
  * \param qpair NVMe queue pair to which the command was submitted.
+ *              For admin commands, pass NULL for the qpair.
  * \param cid Command ID of the command to abort.
  * \param cb_fn Callback function to invoke when the abort has completed.
  * \param cb_arg Argument to pass to the callback function.\
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr_cmd.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr_cmd.c
index 4f1c0b4dc6..8fd8e5901b 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr_cmd.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr_cmd.c
@@ -399,7 +399,13 @@ spdk_nvme_ctrlr_cmd_abort(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, struct spdk_nvme_qpair
 	int rc;
 	struct nvme_request *req;
 	struct spdk_nvme_cmd *cmd;
-	uint16_t sqid = qpair->id;
+	uint16_t sqid;
+
+	if (qpair) {
+		sqid = qpair->id;
+	} else {
+		sqid = ctrlr->adminq->id; /* 0 */
+	}
 
 	nvme_robust_mutex_lock(&ctrlr->ctrlr_lock);
 	req = nvme_allocate_request_null(cb_fn, cb_arg);
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie.c
index d9a6fcd94c..83a3418ff8 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_pcie.c
@@ -1823,13 +1823,21 @@ nvme_pcie_qpair_check_timeout(struct spdk_nvme_qpair *qpair)
 	struct nvme_pcie_qpair *pqpair = nvme_pcie_qpair(qpair);
 	struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr = qpair->ctrlr;
 
+	/* We don't want to expose the admin queue to the user,
+	 * so when we're timing out admin commands set the
+	 * qpair to NULL.
+	 */
+	if (qpair == ctrlr->adminq) {
+		qpair = NULL;
+	}
+
 	t02 = spdk_get_ticks();
 	TAILQ_FOREACH_SAFE(tr, &pqpair->outstanding_tr, tq_list, tmp) {
 		if (tr->timed_out) {
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		if (qpair == ctrlr->adminq &&
+		if (qpair == NULL &&
 		    tr->req->cmd.opc == SPDK_NVME_OPC_ASYNC_EVENT_REQUEST) {
 			continue;
 		}