diff --git a/drivers/nvme/host/core.c b/drivers/nvme/host/core.c
index 5702a3843746f00d8d900040930ffc69f181a512..8b75f6ca0b6118aadaa6e79c338007a864781d4a 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/host/core.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/host/core.c
@@ -3525,10 +3525,6 @@ static ssize_t nvme_sysfs_delete(struct device *dev,
 {
 	struct nvme_ctrl *ctrl = dev_get_drvdata(dev);
 
-	/* Can't delete non-created controllers */
-	if (!ctrl->created)
-		return -EBUSY;
-
 	if (device_remove_file_self(dev, attr))
 		nvme_delete_ctrl_sync(ctrl);
 	return count;
@@ -4403,7 +4399,6 @@ void nvme_start_ctrl(struct nvme_ctrl *ctrl)
 		nvme_queue_scan(ctrl);
 		nvme_start_queues(ctrl);
 	}
-	ctrl->created = true;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(nvme_start_ctrl);
 
diff --git a/drivers/nvme/host/fabrics.c b/drivers/nvme/host/fabrics.c
index 32f61fc5f4c57ac8a7bee1213eae763aaeac5015..8575724734e02e5883f946d54cea6324a605fabf 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/host/fabrics.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/host/fabrics.c
@@ -565,10 +565,14 @@ bool __nvmf_check_ready(struct nvme_ctrl *ctrl, struct request *rq,
 	struct nvme_request *req = nvme_req(rq);
 
 	/*
-	 * If we are in some state of setup or teardown only allow
-	 * internally generated commands.
+	 * currently we have a problem sending passthru commands
+	 * on the admin_q if the controller is not LIVE because we can't
+	 * make sure that they are going out after the admin connect,
+	 * controller enable and/or other commands in the initialization
+	 * sequence. until the controller will be LIVE, fail with
+	 * BLK_STS_RESOURCE so that they will be rescheduled.
 	 */
-	if (!blk_rq_is_passthrough(rq) || (req->flags & NVME_REQ_USERCMD))
+	if (rq->q == ctrl->admin_q && (req->flags & NVME_REQ_USERCMD))
 		return false;
 
 	/*
@@ -577,7 +581,7 @@ bool __nvmf_check_ready(struct nvme_ctrl *ctrl, struct request *rq,
 	 */
 	switch (ctrl->state) {
 	case NVME_CTRL_CONNECTING:
-		if (nvme_is_fabrics(req->cmd) &&
+		if (blk_rq_is_passthrough(rq) && nvme_is_fabrics(req->cmd) &&
 		    req->cmd->fabrics.fctype == nvme_fabrics_type_connect)
 			return true;
 		break;
diff --git a/drivers/nvme/host/fc.c b/drivers/nvme/host/fc.c
index a7f474ddfff7615b82e3c8b511d20ff2cf29cc4a..e8ef42b9d50c233f4ab3cd6e841db393d22bccf2 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/host/fc.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/host/fc.c
@@ -2160,6 +2160,7 @@ nvme_fc_term_aen_ops(struct nvme_fc_ctrl *ctrl)
 	struct nvme_fc_fcp_op *aen_op;
 	int i;
 
+	cancel_work_sync(&ctrl->ctrl.async_event_work);
 	aen_op = ctrl->aen_ops;
 	for (i = 0; i < NVME_NR_AEN_COMMANDS; i++, aen_op++) {
 		__nvme_fc_exit_request(ctrl, aen_op);
diff --git a/drivers/nvme/host/nvme.h b/drivers/nvme/host/nvme.h
index 2910f6caab7d65c9648b8965ba0edbcdd0397c32..9fd45ff656da81472f36d83dcf5f0bb7dab66063 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/host/nvme.h
+++ b/drivers/nvme/host/nvme.h
@@ -307,7 +307,6 @@ struct nvme_ctrl {
 	struct nvme_command ka_cmd;
 	struct work_struct fw_act_work;
 	unsigned long events;
-	bool created;
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_NVME_MULTIPATH
 	/* asymmetric namespace access: */
diff --git a/drivers/nvme/host/rdma.c b/drivers/nvme/host/rdma.c
index 1d8ea5305d60f009e0fd0cbe7af3acec7b249a52..3247d4ee46b1a25321920baea5bc43f14e4618f2 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/host/rdma.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/host/rdma.c
@@ -835,6 +835,7 @@ static void nvme_rdma_destroy_admin_queue(struct nvme_rdma_ctrl *ctrl,
 		blk_mq_free_tag_set(ctrl->ctrl.admin_tagset);
 	}
 	if (ctrl->async_event_sqe.data) {
+		cancel_work_sync(&ctrl->ctrl.async_event_work);
 		nvme_rdma_free_qe(ctrl->device->dev, &ctrl->async_event_sqe,
 				sizeof(struct nvme_command), DMA_TO_DEVICE);
 		ctrl->async_event_sqe.data = NULL;
diff --git a/drivers/nvme/host/tcp.c b/drivers/nvme/host/tcp.c
index 873d6afcbc9ee97b7a874d268a7c9707c783f514..245a73d0a1caff06b206c6998df16374a965e721 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/host/tcp.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/host/tcp.c
@@ -1597,6 +1597,7 @@ static struct blk_mq_tag_set *nvme_tcp_alloc_tagset(struct nvme_ctrl *nctrl,
 static void nvme_tcp_free_admin_queue(struct nvme_ctrl *ctrl)
 {
 	if (to_tcp_ctrl(ctrl)->async_req.pdu) {
+		cancel_work_sync(&ctrl->async_event_work);
 		nvme_tcp_free_async_req(to_tcp_ctrl(ctrl));
 		to_tcp_ctrl(ctrl)->async_req.pdu = NULL;
 	}