diff --git a/drivers/nvme/host/nvme.h b/drivers/nvme/host/nvme.h
index 74f74b459f5f..13f71461f5f1 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/host/nvme.h
+++ b/drivers/nvme/host/nvme.h
@@ -391,6 +391,11 @@ struct nvme_ctrl {
 	enum nvme_dctype dctype;
 };
 
+static inline enum nvme_ctrl_state nvme_ctrl_state(struct nvme_ctrl *ctrl)
+{
+	return READ_ONCE(ctrl->state);
+}
+
 enum nvme_iopolicy {
 	NVME_IOPOLICY_NUMA,
 	NVME_IOPOLICY_RR,