diff --git a/drivers/nvme/host/rdma.c b/drivers/nvme/host/rdma.c
index b61924394032..825c961c6fd5 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/host/rdma.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/host/rdma.c
@@ -989,6 +989,7 @@ static int nvme_rdma_configure_io_queues(struct nvme_rdma_ctrl *ctrl, bool new)
 		goto out_cleanup_connect_q;
 
 	if (!new) {
+		nvme_start_freeze(&ctrl->ctrl);
 		nvme_start_queues(&ctrl->ctrl);
 		if (!nvme_wait_freeze_timeout(&ctrl->ctrl, NVME_IO_TIMEOUT)) {
 			/*
@@ -997,6 +998,7 @@ static int nvme_rdma_configure_io_queues(struct nvme_rdma_ctrl *ctrl, bool new)
 			 * to be safe.
 			 */
 			ret = -ENODEV;
+			nvme_unfreeze(&ctrl->ctrl);
 			goto out_wait_freeze_timed_out;
 		}
 		blk_mq_update_nr_hw_queues(ctrl->ctrl.tagset,
@@ -1042,7 +1044,6 @@ static void nvme_rdma_teardown_io_queues(struct nvme_rdma_ctrl *ctrl,
 		bool remove)
 {
 	if (ctrl->ctrl.queue_count > 1) {
-		nvme_start_freeze(&ctrl->ctrl);
 		nvme_stop_queues(&ctrl->ctrl);
 		nvme_sync_io_queues(&ctrl->ctrl);
 		nvme_rdma_stop_io_queues(ctrl);