diff --git a/lib/libnvmf/libnvmf.h b/lib/libnvmf/libnvmf.h
--- a/lib/libnvmf/libnvmf.h
+++ b/lib/libnvmf/libnvmf.h
@@ -364,4 +364,9 @@
     const char *hostnqn, struct nvmf_qpair *admin_qp, u_int num_queues,
     struct nvmf_qpair **io_queues, const struct nvme_controller_data *cdata);
 
+/*
+ * Fetch connection status from an existing kernel host.
+ */
+int	nvmf_connection_status(int fd, nvlist_t **nvlp);
+
 #endif /* !__LIBNVMF_H__ */
diff --git a/lib/libnvmf/nvmf_host.c b/lib/libnvmf/nvmf_host.c
--- a/lib/libnvmf/nvmf_host.c
+++ b/lib/libnvmf/nvmf_host.c
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
  * Written by: John Baldwin <jhb@FreeBSD.org>
  */
 
+#include <sys/nv.h>
 #include <sys/sysctl.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
@@ -980,3 +981,9 @@
 	(void)nvmf_free_qpair(admin_qp);
 	return (error);
 }
+
+int
+nvmf_connection_status(int fd, nvlist_t **nvlp)
+{
+	return (nvmf_read_ioc_nv(fd, NVMF_CONNECTION_STATUS, nvlp));
+}
diff --git a/sys/dev/nvmf/host/nvmf.c b/sys/dev/nvmf/host/nvmf.c
--- a/sys/dev/nvmf/host/nvmf.c
+++ b/sys/dev/nvmf/host/nvmf.c
@@ -654,6 +654,7 @@
 		return;
 	}
 
+	nanotime(&sc->last_disconnect);
 	callout_drain(&sc->ka_tx_timer);
 	callout_drain(&sc->ka_rx_timer);
 	sc->ka_traffic = false;
@@ -1073,6 +1074,27 @@
 	return (error);
 }
 
+static int
+nvmf_connection_status(struct nvmf_softc *sc, struct nvmf_ioc_nv *nv)
+{
+	nvlist_t *nvl, *nvl_ts;
+	int error;
+
+	nvl = nvlist_create(0);
+	nvl_ts = nvlist_create(0);
+
+	sx_slock(&sc->connection_lock);
+	nvlist_add_bool(nvl, "connected", sc->admin != NULL);
+	nvlist_add_number(nvl_ts, "tv_sec", sc->last_disconnect.tv_sec);
+	nvlist_add_number(nvl_ts, "tv_nsec", sc->last_disconnect.tv_nsec);
+	sx_sunlock(&sc->connection_lock);
+	nvlist_move_nvlist(nvl, "last_disconnect", nvl_ts);
+
+	error = nvmf_pack_ioc_nvlist(nvl, nv);
+	nvlist_destroy(nvl);
+	return (error);
+}
+
 static int
 nvmf_ioctl(struct cdev *cdev, u_long cmd, caddr_t arg, int flag,
     struct thread *td)
@@ -1104,6 +1126,9 @@
 	case NVMF_RECONNECT_HOST:
 		nv = (struct nvmf_ioc_nv *)arg;
 		return (nvmf_reconnect_host(sc, nv));
+	case NVMF_CONNECTION_STATUS:
+		nv = (struct nvmf_ioc_nv *)arg;
+		return (nvmf_connection_status(sc, nv));
 	default:
 		return (ENOTTY);
 	}
diff --git a/sys/dev/nvmf/host/nvmf_var.h b/sys/dev/nvmf/host/nvmf_var.h
--- a/sys/dev/nvmf/host/nvmf_var.h
+++ b/sys/dev/nvmf/host/nvmf_var.h
@@ -86,6 +86,8 @@
 
 	nvlist_t *rparams;
 
+	struct timespec last_disconnect;
+
 	eventhandler_tag shutdown_pre_sync_eh;
 	eventhandler_tag shutdown_post_sync_eh;
 };
diff --git a/sys/dev/nvmf/nvmf.h b/sys/dev/nvmf/nvmf.h
--- a/sys/dev/nvmf/nvmf.h
+++ b/sys/dev/nvmf/nvmf.h
@@ -90,6 +90,15 @@
  * bool				data_digests
  */
 
+/*
+ * The fields in the nvlist for NVMF_CONNECTION_STATUS are:
+ *
+ * bool				connected
+ * timespec nvlist		last_disconnect
+ *  number			tv_sec
+ *  number			tv_nsec
+ */
+
 /*
  * The fields in the nvlist for handing off a controller qpair are:
  *
@@ -107,5 +116,6 @@
 /* Operations on /dev/nvmeX */
 #define	NVMF_RECONNECT_PARAMS	_IOWR('n', 203, struct nvmf_ioc_nv)
 #define	NVMF_RECONNECT_HOST	_IOW('n', 204, struct nvmf_ioc_nv)
+#define	NVMF_CONNECTION_STATUS	_IOWR('n', 205, struct nvmf_ioc_nv)
 
 #endif /* !__NVMF_H__ */