diff --git a/drivers/nvme/host/core.c b/drivers/nvme/host/core.c
index beea23d04a70..11599b0061b1 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/host/core.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/host/core.c
@@ -165,8 +165,11 @@ void nvme_queue_scan(struct nvme_ctrl *ctrl)
 	/*
 	 * Only new queue scan work when admin and IO queues are both alive
 	 */
-	if (nvme_ctrl_state(ctrl) == NVME_CTRL_LIVE && ctrl->tagset)
-		queue_work(nvme_wq, &ctrl->scan_work);
+	if (nvme_ctrl_state(ctrl) == NVME_CTRL_LIVE && ctrl->tagset) {
+		nvme_get_ctrl(ctrl);
+		if (!queue_work(nvme_wq, &ctrl->scan_work))
+			nvme_put_ctrl(ctrl);
+	}
 }
 
 /*
@@ -4635,7 +4638,7 @@ static void nvme_scan_work(struct work_struct *work)
 
 	/* No tagset on a live ctrl means IO queues could not created */
 	if (nvme_ctrl_state(ctrl) != NVME_CTRL_LIVE || !ctrl->tagset)
-		return;
+		goto out;
 
 	/*
 	 * Identify controller limits can change at controller reset due to
@@ -4648,7 +4651,7 @@ static void nvme_scan_work(struct work_struct *work)
 	if (ret < 0) {
 		dev_warn(ctrl->device,
 			"reading non-mdts-limits failed: %d\n", ret);
-		return;
+		goto out;
 	}
 
 	if (test_and_clear_bit(NVME_AER_NOTICE_NS_CHANGED, &ctrl->events)) {
@@ -4679,6 +4682,8 @@ static void nvme_scan_work(struct work_struct *work)
 		/* Re-read the ANA log page to not miss updates */
 		queue_work(nvme_wq, &ctrl->ana_work);
 #endif
+out:
+	nvme_put_ctrl(ctrl);
 }
 
 /*