diff --git a/sys/dev/nvme/nvme_qpair.c b/sys/dev/nvme/nvme_qpair.c
--- a/sys/dev/nvme/nvme_qpair.c
+++ b/sys/dev/nvme/nvme_qpair.c
@@ -945,6 +945,14 @@
 {
 	struct nvme_tracker	*tr;
 
+	/*
+	 * nvme_complete_tracker must be called with the qpair lock held. It
+	 * takes the lock to adjust outstanding_tr list, so drop it here. We
+	 * start over at the head of the list, so this is safe. We are also
+	 * called from contexts that do not hold the qpair lock.
+	 */
+	mtx_assert(&qpair->lock, MA_UNOWNED);
+
 	tr = TAILQ_FIRST(&qpair->outstanding_tr);
 	while (tr != NULL) {
 		if (tr->req->cmd.opc == NVME_OPC_ASYNC_EVENT_REQUEST) {
@@ -961,6 +969,7 @@
 void
 nvme_admin_qpair_destroy(struct nvme_qpair *qpair)
 {
+	mtx_assert(&qpair->lock, MA_UNOWNED);
 
 	nvme_admin_qpair_abort_aers(qpair);
 	nvme_qpair_destroy(qpair);
@@ -1410,12 +1419,13 @@
 nvme_admin_qpair_disable(struct nvme_qpair *qpair)
 {
 	mtx_lock(&qpair->recovery);
-	mtx_lock(&qpair->lock);
 
+	mtx_lock(&qpair->lock);
 	nvme_qpair_disable(qpair);
+	mtx_unlock(&qpair->lock);
+
 	nvme_admin_qpair_abort_aers(qpair);
 
-	mtx_unlock(&qpair->lock);
 	mtx_unlock(&qpair->recovery);
 }