diff --git a/drivers/scsi/lpfc/lpfc_init.c b/drivers/scsi/lpfc/lpfc_init.c
index 7e73fdc154f7b0bd760bfc2a2efad6b99e261104..491aa95eb0f6184cff8f0ea620d6c7a81e84a9e1 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/lpfc/lpfc_init.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/lpfc/lpfc_init.c
@@ -2805,13 +2805,6 @@ lpfc_cleanup(struct lpfc_vport *vport)
 			lpfc_disc_state_machine(vport, ndlp, NULL,
 					NLP_EVT_DEVICE_RECOVERY);
 
-		if (ndlp->nlp_fc4_type & NLP_FC4_NVME) {
-			/* Remove the NVME transport reference now and
-			 * continue to remove the node.
-			 */
-			lpfc_nlp_put(ndlp);
-		}
-
 		lpfc_disc_state_machine(vport, ndlp, NULL,
 					     NLP_EVT_DEVICE_RM);
 	}