diff --git a/drivers/nvme/host/core.c b/drivers/nvme/host/core.c
index aac3c1d2b2a2..9df4f71e58ca 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/host/core.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/host/core.c
@@ -376,6 +376,15 @@ static void nvme_put_ns(struct nvme_ns *ns)
 	kref_put(&ns->kref, nvme_free_ns);
 }
 
+static inline void nvme_clear_nvme_request(struct request *req)
+{
+	if (!(req->rq_flags & RQF_DONTPREP)) {
+		nvme_req(req)->retries = 0;
+		nvme_req(req)->flags = 0;
+		req->rq_flags |= RQF_DONTPREP;
+	}
+}
+
 struct request *nvme_alloc_request(struct request_queue *q,
 		struct nvme_command *cmd, blk_mq_req_flags_t flags, int qid)
 {
@@ -392,6 +401,7 @@ struct request *nvme_alloc_request(struct request_queue *q,
 		return req;
 
 	req->cmd_flags |= REQ_FAILFAST_DRIVER;
+	nvme_clear_nvme_request(req);
 	nvme_req(req)->cmd = cmd;
 
 	return req;
@@ -608,11 +618,7 @@ blk_status_t nvme_setup_cmd(struct nvme_ns *ns, struct request *req,
 {
 	blk_status_t ret = BLK_STS_OK;
 
-	if (!(req->rq_flags & RQF_DONTPREP)) {
-		nvme_req(req)->retries = 0;
-		nvme_req(req)->flags = 0;
-		req->rq_flags |= RQF_DONTPREP;
-	}
+	nvme_clear_nvme_request(req);
 
 	switch (req_op(req)) {
 	case REQ_OP_DRV_IN:
@@ -742,6 +748,7 @@ static int nvme_submit_user_cmd(struct request_queue *q,
 		return PTR_ERR(req);
 
 	req->timeout = timeout ? timeout : ADMIN_TIMEOUT;
+	nvme_req(req)->flags |= NVME_REQ_USERCMD;
 
 	if (ubuffer && bufflen) {
 		ret = blk_rq_map_user(q, req, NULL, ubuffer, bufflen,
diff --git a/drivers/nvme/host/fabrics.c b/drivers/nvme/host/fabrics.c
index 3583f9492a45..124c458806df 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/host/fabrics.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/host/fabrics.c
@@ -536,6 +536,85 @@ static struct nvmf_transport_ops *nvmf_lookup_transport(
 	return NULL;
 }
 
+blk_status_t nvmf_check_if_ready(struct nvme_ctrl *ctrl, struct request *rq,
+		bool queue_live, bool is_connected)
+{
+	struct nvme_command *cmd = nvme_req(rq)->cmd;
+
+	if (likely(ctrl->state == NVME_CTRL_LIVE && is_connected))
+		return BLK_STS_OK;
+
+	switch (ctrl->state) {
+	case NVME_CTRL_DELETING:
+		goto reject_io;
+
+	case NVME_CTRL_NEW:
+	case NVME_CTRL_CONNECTING:
+		if (!is_connected)
+			/*
+			 * This is the case of starting a new
+			 * association but connectivity was lost
+			 * before it was fully created. We need to
+			 * error the commands used to initialize the
+			 * controller so the reconnect can go into a
+			 * retry attempt. The commands should all be
+			 * marked REQ_FAILFAST_DRIVER, which will hit
+			 * the reject path below. Anything else will
+			 * be queued while the state settles.
+			 */
+			goto reject_or_queue_io;
+
+		if ((queue_live &&
+		     !(nvme_req(rq)->flags & NVME_REQ_USERCMD)) ||
+		    (!queue_live && blk_rq_is_passthrough(rq) &&
+		     cmd->common.opcode == nvme_fabrics_command &&
+		     cmd->fabrics.fctype == nvme_fabrics_type_connect))
+			/*
+			 * If queue is live, allow only commands that
+			 * are internally generated pass through. These
+			 * are commands on the admin queue to initialize
+			 * the controller. This will reject any ioctl
+			 * admin cmds received while initializing.
+			 *
+			 * If the queue is not live, allow only a
+			 * connect command. This will reject any ioctl
+			 * admin cmd as well as initialization commands
+			 * if the controller reverted the queue to non-live.
+			 */
+			return BLK_STS_OK;
+
+		/*
+		 * fall-thru to the reject_or_queue_io clause
+		 */
+		break;
+
+	/* these cases fall-thru
+	 * case NVME_CTRL_LIVE:
+	 * case NVME_CTRL_RESETTING:
+	 */
+	default:
+		break;
+	}
+
+reject_or_queue_io:
+	/*
+	 * Any other new io is something we're not in a state to send
+	 * to the device. Default action is to busy it and retry it
+	 * after the controller state is recovered. However, anything
+	 * marked for failfast or nvme multipath is immediately failed.
+	 * Note: commands used to initialize the controller will be
+	 *  marked for failfast.
+	 * Note: nvme cli/ioctl commands are marked for failfast.
+	 */
+	if (!blk_noretry_request(rq) && !(rq->cmd_flags & REQ_NVME_MPATH))
+		return BLK_STS_RESOURCE;
+
+reject_io:
+	nvme_req(rq)->status = NVME_SC_ABORT_REQ;
+	return BLK_STS_IOERR;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(nvmf_check_if_ready);
+
 static const match_table_t opt_tokens = {
 	{ NVMF_OPT_TRANSPORT,		"transport=%s"		},
 	{ NVMF_OPT_TRADDR,		"traddr=%s"		},
diff --git a/drivers/nvme/host/fabrics.h b/drivers/nvme/host/fabrics.h
index a3145d90c1d2..ef46c915b7b5 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/host/fabrics.h
+++ b/drivers/nvme/host/fabrics.h
@@ -157,36 +157,7 @@ void nvmf_unregister_transport(struct nvmf_transport_ops *ops);
 void nvmf_free_options(struct nvmf_ctrl_options *opts);
 int nvmf_get_address(struct nvme_ctrl *ctrl, char *buf, int size);
 bool nvmf_should_reconnect(struct nvme_ctrl *ctrl);
-
-static inline blk_status_t nvmf_check_init_req(struct nvme_ctrl *ctrl,
-		struct request *rq)
-{
-	struct nvme_command *cmd = nvme_req(rq)->cmd;
-
-	/*
-	 * We cannot accept any other command until the connect command has
-	 * completed, so only allow connect to pass.
-	 */
-	if (!blk_rq_is_passthrough(rq) ||
-	    cmd->common.opcode != nvme_fabrics_command ||
-	    cmd->fabrics.fctype != nvme_fabrics_type_connect) {
-		/*
-		 * Connecting state means transport disruption or initial
-		 * establishment, which can take a long time and even might
-		 * fail permanently, fail fast to give upper layers a chance
-		 * to failover.
-		 * Deleting state means that the ctrl will never accept commands
-		 * again, fail it permanently.
-		 */
-		if (ctrl->state == NVME_CTRL_CONNECTING ||
-		    ctrl->state == NVME_CTRL_DELETING) {
-			nvme_req(rq)->status = NVME_SC_ABORT_REQ;
-			return BLK_STS_IOERR;
-		}
-		return BLK_STS_RESOURCE; /* try again later */
-	}
-
-	return BLK_STS_OK;
-}
+blk_status_t nvmf_check_if_ready(struct nvme_ctrl *ctrl,
+	struct request *rq, bool queue_live, bool is_connected);
 
 #endif /* _NVME_FABRICS_H */
diff --git a/drivers/nvme/host/fc.c b/drivers/nvme/host/fc.c
index c6e719b2f3ca..6cb26bcf6ec0 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/host/fc.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/host/fc.c
@@ -2277,14 +2277,6 @@ nvme_fc_start_fcp_op(struct nvme_fc_ctrl *ctrl, struct nvme_fc_queue *queue,
 	return BLK_STS_OK;
 }
 
-static inline blk_status_t nvme_fc_is_ready(struct nvme_fc_queue *queue,
-		struct request *rq)
-{
-	if (unlikely(!test_bit(NVME_FC_Q_LIVE, &queue->flags)))
-		return nvmf_check_init_req(&queue->ctrl->ctrl, rq);
-	return BLK_STS_OK;
-}
-
 static blk_status_t
 nvme_fc_queue_rq(struct blk_mq_hw_ctx *hctx,
 			const struct blk_mq_queue_data *bd)
@@ -2300,7 +2292,9 @@ nvme_fc_queue_rq(struct blk_mq_hw_ctx *hctx,
 	u32 data_len;
 	blk_status_t ret;
 
-	ret = nvme_fc_is_ready(queue, rq);
+	ret = nvmf_check_if_ready(&queue->ctrl->ctrl, rq,
+		test_bit(NVME_FC_Q_LIVE, &queue->flags),
+		ctrl->rport->remoteport.port_state == FC_OBJSTATE_ONLINE);
 	if (unlikely(ret))
 		return ret;
 
diff --git a/drivers/nvme/host/nvme.h b/drivers/nvme/host/nvme.h
index 08c4cff79cde..061fecfd44f5 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/host/nvme.h
+++ b/drivers/nvme/host/nvme.h
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ struct nvme_request {
 
 enum {
 	NVME_REQ_CANCELLED		= (1 << 0),
+	NVME_REQ_USERCMD		= (1 << 1),
 };
 
 static inline struct nvme_request *nvme_req(struct request *req)
diff --git a/drivers/nvme/host/rdma.c b/drivers/nvme/host/rdma.c
index 758537e9ba07..1eb4438a8763 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/host/rdma.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/host/rdma.c
@@ -1601,17 +1601,6 @@ nvme_rdma_timeout(struct request *rq, bool reserved)
 	return BLK_EH_HANDLED;
 }
 
-/*
- * We cannot accept any other command until the Connect command has completed.
- */
-static inline blk_status_t
-nvme_rdma_is_ready(struct nvme_rdma_queue *queue, struct request *rq)
-{
-	if (unlikely(!test_bit(NVME_RDMA_Q_LIVE, &queue->flags)))
-		return nvmf_check_init_req(&queue->ctrl->ctrl, rq);
-	return BLK_STS_OK;
-}
-
 static blk_status_t nvme_rdma_queue_rq(struct blk_mq_hw_ctx *hctx,
 		const struct blk_mq_queue_data *bd)
 {
@@ -1627,7 +1616,8 @@ static blk_status_t nvme_rdma_queue_rq(struct blk_mq_hw_ctx *hctx,
 
 	WARN_ON_ONCE(rq->tag < 0);
 
-	ret = nvme_rdma_is_ready(queue, rq);
+	ret = nvmf_check_if_ready(&queue->ctrl->ctrl, rq,
+		test_bit(NVME_RDMA_Q_LIVE, &queue->flags), true);
 	if (unlikely(ret))
 		return ret;
 
diff --git a/drivers/nvme/target/loop.c b/drivers/nvme/target/loop.c
index b9d5b69d8548..31fdfba556a8 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/target/loop.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/target/loop.c
@@ -149,14 +149,6 @@ nvme_loop_timeout(struct request *rq, bool reserved)
 	return BLK_EH_HANDLED;
 }
 
-static inline blk_status_t nvme_loop_is_ready(struct nvme_loop_queue *queue,
-		struct request *rq)
-{
-	if (unlikely(!test_bit(NVME_LOOP_Q_LIVE, &queue->flags)))
-		return nvmf_check_init_req(&queue->ctrl->ctrl, rq);
-	return BLK_STS_OK;
-}
-
 static blk_status_t nvme_loop_queue_rq(struct blk_mq_hw_ctx *hctx,
 		const struct blk_mq_queue_data *bd)
 {
@@ -166,7 +158,8 @@ static blk_status_t nvme_loop_queue_rq(struct blk_mq_hw_ctx *hctx,
 	struct nvme_loop_iod *iod = blk_mq_rq_to_pdu(req);
 	blk_status_t ret;
 
-	ret = nvme_loop_is_ready(queue, req);
+	ret = nvmf_check_if_ready(&queue->ctrl->ctrl, req,
+		test_bit(NVME_LOOP_Q_LIVE, &queue->flags), true);
 	if (unlikely(ret))
 		return ret;