diff --git a/drivers/nvme/host/core.c b/drivers/nvme/host/core.c
index 95d77a17375e..95d933bfd15b 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/host/core.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/host/core.c
@@ -455,7 +455,6 @@ static void nvme_free_ns_head(struct kref *ref)
 
 	nvme_mpath_remove_disk(head);
 	ida_simple_remove(&head->subsys->ns_ida, head->instance);
-	list_del_init(&head->entry);
 	cleanup_srcu_struct(&head->srcu);
 	nvme_put_subsystem(head->subsys);
 	kfree(head);
@@ -3374,7 +3373,6 @@ static int __nvme_check_ids(struct nvme_subsystem *subsys,
 
 	list_for_each_entry(h, &subsys->nsheads, entry) {
 		if (nvme_ns_ids_valid(&new->ids) &&
-		    !list_empty(&h->list) &&
 		    nvme_ns_ids_equal(&new->ids, &h->ids))
 			return -EINVAL;
 	}
@@ -3629,6 +3627,8 @@ static int nvme_alloc_ns(struct nvme_ctrl *ctrl, unsigned nsid)
  out_unlink_ns:
 	mutex_lock(&ctrl->subsys->lock);
 	list_del_rcu(&ns->siblings);
+	if (list_empty(&ns->head->list))
+		list_del_init(&ns->head->entry);
 	mutex_unlock(&ctrl->subsys->lock);
 	nvme_put_ns_head(ns->head);
  out_free_id:
@@ -3651,7 +3651,10 @@ static void nvme_ns_remove(struct nvme_ns *ns)
 
 	mutex_lock(&ns->ctrl->subsys->lock);
 	list_del_rcu(&ns->siblings);
+	if (list_empty(&ns->head->list))
+		list_del_init(&ns->head->entry);
 	mutex_unlock(&ns->ctrl->subsys->lock);
+
 	synchronize_rcu(); /* guarantee not available in head->list */
 	nvme_mpath_clear_current_path(ns);
 	synchronize_srcu(&ns->head->srcu); /* wait for concurrent submissions */