diff --git a/drivers/nvme/host/fabrics.c b/drivers/nvme/host/fabrics.c
index 916d1360805964cbe6a095576ba2049af52384f8..5b7386f69f4de5571112bcc504134c8d99744793 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/host/fabrics.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/host/fabrics.c
@@ -480,11 +480,16 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(nvmf_connect_io_queue);
  * being implemented to the common NVMe fabrics library. Part of
  * the overall init sequence of starting up a fabrics driver.
  */
-void nvmf_register_transport(struct nvmf_transport_ops *ops)
+int nvmf_register_transport(struct nvmf_transport_ops *ops)
 {
+	if (!ops->create_ctrl)
+		return -EINVAL;
+
 	mutex_lock(&nvmf_transports_mutex);
 	list_add_tail(&ops->entry, &nvmf_transports);
 	mutex_unlock(&nvmf_transports_mutex);
+
+	return 0;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(nvmf_register_transport);
 
diff --git a/drivers/nvme/host/fabrics.h b/drivers/nvme/host/fabrics.h
index 924145c979f136e167c72448b5998df15479a670..156018182ce43bbf70fe34fa1ff71b6df2e4456b 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/host/fabrics.h
+++ b/drivers/nvme/host/fabrics.h
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ int nvmf_reg_read64(struct nvme_ctrl *ctrl, u32 off, u64 *val);
 int nvmf_reg_write32(struct nvme_ctrl *ctrl, u32 off, u32 val);
 int nvmf_connect_admin_queue(struct nvme_ctrl *ctrl);
 int nvmf_connect_io_queue(struct nvme_ctrl *ctrl, u16 qid);
-void nvmf_register_transport(struct nvmf_transport_ops *ops);
+int nvmf_register_transport(struct nvmf_transport_ops *ops);
 void nvmf_unregister_transport(struct nvmf_transport_ops *ops);
 void nvmf_free_options(struct nvmf_ctrl_options *opts);
 const char *nvmf_get_subsysnqn(struct nvme_ctrl *ctrl);
diff --git a/drivers/nvme/host/fc.c b/drivers/nvme/host/fc.c
index fb51a8de9b29a770c93a34dfca7b3264e8dd0a6a..6186fde718f9aacfa45b52220b5a9b0d2fea32df 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/host/fc.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/host/fc.c
@@ -2562,8 +2562,7 @@ static int __init nvme_fc_init_module(void)
 	if (!nvme_fc_wq)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
-	nvmf_register_transport(&nvme_fc_transport);
-	return 0;
+	return nvmf_register_transport(&nvme_fc_transport);
 }
 
 static void __exit nvme_fc_exit_module(void)
diff --git a/drivers/nvme/host/rdma.c b/drivers/nvme/host/rdma.c
index a75e95d42b3febf5edba65c4ba7ed5181aa08c20..aedac6e28c6fb5f9b6c57f1f48000f754ac4f3e2 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/host/rdma.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/host/rdma.c
@@ -2063,8 +2063,7 @@ static int __init nvme_rdma_init_module(void)
 		return ret;
 	}
 
-	nvmf_register_transport(&nvme_rdma_transport);
-	return 0;
+	return nvmf_register_transport(&nvme_rdma_transport);
 }
 
 static void __exit nvme_rdma_cleanup_module(void)
diff --git a/drivers/nvme/target/loop.c b/drivers/nvme/target/loop.c
index f3862e38f5748d8e21b4a55574cac30c7cf2054a..d1f06e7768ff1d7ff6ee787ff6d94eb01576252f 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/target/loop.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/target/loop.c
@@ -724,8 +724,7 @@ static int __init nvme_loop_init_module(void)
 	ret = nvmet_register_transport(&nvme_loop_ops);
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
-	nvmf_register_transport(&nvme_loop_transport);
-	return 0;
+	return nvmf_register_transport(&nvme_loop_transport);
 }
 
 static void __exit nvme_loop_cleanup_module(void)