diff --git a/hw/nvme/ctrl.c b/hw/nvme/ctrl.c
index dd18015100..90e3ee2b70 100644
--- a/hw/nvme/ctrl.c
+++ b/hw/nvme/ctrl.c
@@ -6523,6 +6523,10 @@ static void nvme_exit(PCIDevice *pci_dev)
         nvme_ns_cleanup(ns);
     }
 
+    if (n->subsys) {
+        nvme_subsys_unregister_ctrl(n->subsys, n);
+    }
+
     g_free(n->cq);
     g_free(n->sq);
     g_free(n->aer_reqs);
diff --git a/hw/nvme/nvme.h b/hw/nvme/nvme.h
index 0868359a1e..c4065467d8 100644
--- a/hw/nvme/nvme.h
+++ b/hw/nvme/nvme.h
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ typedef struct NvmeSubsystem {
 } NvmeSubsystem;
 
 int nvme_subsys_register_ctrl(NvmeCtrl *n, Error **errp);
+void nvme_subsys_unregister_ctrl(NvmeSubsystem *subsys, NvmeCtrl *n);
 
 static inline NvmeCtrl *nvme_subsys_ctrl(NvmeSubsystem *subsys,
                                          uint32_t cntlid)
diff --git a/hw/nvme/subsys.c b/hw/nvme/subsys.c
index dc7a96862f..92caa604a2 100644
--- a/hw/nvme/subsys.c
+++ b/hw/nvme/subsys.c
@@ -32,6 +32,11 @@ int nvme_subsys_register_ctrl(NvmeCtrl *n, Error **errp)
     return cntlid;
 }
 
+void nvme_subsys_unregister_ctrl(NvmeSubsystem *subsys, NvmeCtrl *n)
+{
+    subsys->ctrls[n->cntlid] = NULL;
+}
+
 static void nvme_subsys_setup(NvmeSubsystem *subsys)
 {
     const char *nqn = subsys->params.nqn ?