diff --git a/drivers/nvme/target/admin-cmd.c b/drivers/nvme/target/admin-cmd.c
index e9fe91786bbb6383e51882a62f87eda90388715a..dca34489a1dc9e3de5a4dcb9e6107831cf30d595 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/target/admin-cmd.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/target/admin-cmd.c
@@ -727,7 +727,9 @@ u16 nvmet_set_feat_kato(struct nvmet_req *req)
 {
 	u32 val32 = le32_to_cpu(req->cmd->common.cdw11);
 
+	nvmet_stop_keep_alive_timer(req->sq->ctrl);
 	req->sq->ctrl->kato = DIV_ROUND_UP(val32, 1000);
+	nvmet_start_keep_alive_timer(req->sq->ctrl);
 
 	nvmet_set_result(req, req->sq->ctrl->kato);
 
diff --git a/drivers/nvme/target/core.c b/drivers/nvme/target/core.c
index b7b63330b5efdf1ecf2a5c905d9910ea8b213dc3..25d62d867563f27fd719de879fd9e190de7d80fe 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/target/core.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/target/core.c
@@ -395,7 +395,7 @@ static void nvmet_keep_alive_timer(struct work_struct *work)
 	nvmet_ctrl_fatal_error(ctrl);
 }
 
-static void nvmet_start_keep_alive_timer(struct nvmet_ctrl *ctrl)
+void nvmet_start_keep_alive_timer(struct nvmet_ctrl *ctrl)
 {
 	if (unlikely(ctrl->kato == 0))
 		return;
@@ -407,7 +407,7 @@ static void nvmet_start_keep_alive_timer(struct nvmet_ctrl *ctrl)
 	schedule_delayed_work(&ctrl->ka_work, ctrl->kato * HZ);
 }
 
-static void nvmet_stop_keep_alive_timer(struct nvmet_ctrl *ctrl)
+void nvmet_stop_keep_alive_timer(struct nvmet_ctrl *ctrl)
 {
 	if (unlikely(ctrl->kato == 0))
 		return;
diff --git a/drivers/nvme/target/nvmet.h b/drivers/nvme/target/nvmet.h
index 47ee3fb193bd7ddd39d63be3dc5a923af7a11117..559a15ccc322c9ea9db1bd4cfec97c9ab074693d 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/target/nvmet.h
+++ b/drivers/nvme/target/nvmet.h
@@ -395,6 +395,8 @@ void nvmet_get_feat_async_event(struct nvmet_req *req);
 u16 nvmet_set_feat_kato(struct nvmet_req *req);
 u16 nvmet_set_feat_async_event(struct nvmet_req *req, u32 mask);
 void nvmet_execute_async_event(struct nvmet_req *req);
+void nvmet_start_keep_alive_timer(struct nvmet_ctrl *ctrl);
+void nvmet_stop_keep_alive_timer(struct nvmet_ctrl *ctrl);
 
 u16 nvmet_parse_connect_cmd(struct nvmet_req *req);
 void nvmet_bdev_set_limits(struct block_device *bdev, struct nvme_id_ns *id);