diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
index 4088e8d6ba..7cb70c28fe 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
@@ -2138,6 +2138,23 @@ nvme_active_ns_ctx_destroy(struct nvme_active_ns_ctx *ctx)
 	free(ctx);
 }
 
+static int
+nvme_ctrlr_destruct_namespace(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, uint32_t nsid)
+{
+	struct spdk_nvme_ns *ns;
+
+	assert(ctrlr != NULL);
+
+	if (nsid < 1 || nsid > ctrlr->num_ns) {
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	ns = &ctrlr->ns[nsid - 1];
+	nvme_ns_destruct(ns);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static void
 nvme_ctrlr_identify_active_ns_swap(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, uint32_t **new_ns_list,
 				   size_t max_entries)
@@ -2848,8 +2865,8 @@ nvme_ctrlr_destruct_namespaces(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr)
 	if (ctrlr->ns) {
 		uint32_t i, num_ns = ctrlr->num_ns;
 
-		for (i = 0; i < num_ns; i++) {
-			nvme_ns_destruct(&ctrlr->ns[i]);
+		for (i = 1; i <= num_ns; i++) {
+			nvme_ctrlr_destruct_namespace(ctrlr, i);
 		}
 
 		spdk_free(ctrlr->ns);
@@ -2890,7 +2907,7 @@ nvme_ctrlr_update_namespaces(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr)
 
 		if (nsdata->ncap && !ns_is_active) {
 			NVME_CTRLR_DEBUGLOG(ctrlr, "Namespace %u was removed\n", nsid);
-			nvme_ns_destruct(ns);
+			nvme_ctrlr_destruct_namespace(ctrlr, nsid);
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -4495,7 +4512,6 @@ spdk_nvme_ctrlr_detach_ns(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, uint32_t nsid,
 {
 	struct nvme_completion_poll_status	*status;
 	int					res;
-	struct spdk_nvme_ns			*ns;
 
 	if (nsid == 0) {
 		return -EINVAL;
@@ -4527,12 +4543,7 @@ spdk_nvme_ctrlr_detach_ns(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, uint32_t nsid,
 		return res;
 	}
 
-	ns = spdk_nvme_ctrlr_get_ns(ctrlr, nsid);
-	assert(ns != NULL);
-	/* Inactive NS */
-	nvme_ns_destruct(ns);
-
-	return 0;
+	return nvme_ctrlr_destruct_namespace(ctrlr, nsid);
 }
 
 uint32_t
@@ -4584,7 +4595,6 @@ spdk_nvme_ctrlr_delete_ns(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, uint32_t nsid)
 {
 	struct nvme_completion_poll_status	*status;
 	int					res;
-	struct spdk_nvme_ns			*ns;
 
 	if (nsid == 0) {
 		return -EINVAL;
@@ -4615,11 +4625,7 @@ spdk_nvme_ctrlr_delete_ns(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, uint32_t nsid)
 		return res;
 	}
 
-	ns = spdk_nvme_ctrlr_get_ns(ctrlr, nsid);
-	assert(ns != NULL);
-	nvme_ns_destruct(ns);
-
-	return 0;
+	return nvme_ctrlr_destruct_namespace(ctrlr, nsid);
 }
 
 int