diff --git a/drivers/nvme/host/tcp.c b/drivers/nvme/host/tcp.c
index 8f17cbec5a0e..f2fedd25915f 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/host/tcp.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/host/tcp.c
@@ -1890,6 +1890,7 @@ static int nvme_tcp_configure_io_queues(struct nvme_ctrl *ctrl, bool new)
 		goto out_cleanup_connect_q;
 
 	if (!new) {
+		nvme_start_freeze(ctrl);
 		nvme_start_queues(ctrl);
 		if (!nvme_wait_freeze_timeout(ctrl, NVME_IO_TIMEOUT)) {
 			/*
@@ -1898,6 +1899,7 @@ static int nvme_tcp_configure_io_queues(struct nvme_ctrl *ctrl, bool new)
 			 * to be safe.
 			 */
 			ret = -ENODEV;
+			nvme_unfreeze(ctrl);
 			goto out_wait_freeze_timed_out;
 		}
 		blk_mq_update_nr_hw_queues(ctrl->tagset,
@@ -2002,7 +2004,6 @@ static void nvme_tcp_teardown_io_queues(struct nvme_ctrl *ctrl,
 	if (ctrl->queue_count <= 1)
 		return;
 	nvme_stop_admin_queue(ctrl);
-	nvme_start_freeze(ctrl);
 	nvme_stop_queues(ctrl);
 	nvme_sync_io_queues(ctrl);
 	nvme_tcp_stop_io_queues(ctrl);