diff --git a/drivers/nvme/host/fc.c b/drivers/nvme/host/fc.c
index 0b70c8bab045..54032c466636 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/host/fc.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/host/fc.c
@@ -152,6 +152,7 @@ struct nvme_fc_ctrl {
 
 	bool			ioq_live;
 	bool			assoc_active;
+	atomic_t		err_work_active;
 	u64			association_id;
 
 	struct list_head	ctrl_list;	/* rport->ctrl_list */
@@ -160,6 +161,7 @@ struct nvme_fc_ctrl {
 	struct blk_mq_tag_set	tag_set;
 
 	struct delayed_work	connect_work;
+	struct work_struct	err_work;
 
 	struct kref		ref;
 	u32			flags;
@@ -1531,6 +1533,10 @@ nvme_fc_abort_aen_ops(struct nvme_fc_ctrl *ctrl)
 	struct nvme_fc_fcp_op *aen_op = ctrl->aen_ops;
 	int i;
 
+	/* ensure we've initialized the ops once */
+	if (!(aen_op->flags & FCOP_FLAGS_AEN))
+		return;
+
 	for (i = 0; i < NVME_NR_AEN_COMMANDS; i++, aen_op++)
 		__nvme_fc_abort_op(ctrl, aen_op);
 }
@@ -2049,7 +2055,25 @@ nvme_fc_nvme_ctrl_freed(struct nvme_ctrl *nctrl)
 static void
 nvme_fc_error_recovery(struct nvme_fc_ctrl *ctrl, char *errmsg)
 {
-	/* only proceed if in LIVE state - e.g. on first error */
+	int active;
+
+	/*
+	 * if an error (io timeout, etc) while (re)connecting,
+	 * it's an error on creating the new association.
+	 * Start the error recovery thread if it hasn't already
+	 * been started. It is expected there could be multiple
+	 * ios hitting this path before things are cleaned up.
+	 */
+	if (ctrl->ctrl.state == NVME_CTRL_CONNECTING) {
+		active = atomic_xchg(&ctrl->err_work_active, 1);
+		if (!active && !schedule_work(&ctrl->err_work)) {
+			atomic_set(&ctrl->err_work_active, 0);
+			WARN_ON(1);
+		}
+		return;
+	}
+
+	/* Otherwise, only proceed if in LIVE state - e.g. on first error */
 	if (ctrl->ctrl.state != NVME_CTRL_LIVE)
 		return;
 
@@ -2814,6 +2838,7 @@ nvme_fc_delete_ctrl(struct nvme_ctrl *nctrl)
 {
 	struct nvme_fc_ctrl *ctrl = to_fc_ctrl(nctrl);
 
+	cancel_work_sync(&ctrl->err_work);
 	cancel_delayed_work_sync(&ctrl->connect_work);
 	/*
 	 * kill the association on the link side.  this will block
@@ -2865,6 +2890,21 @@ nvme_fc_reconnect_or_delete(struct nvme_fc_ctrl *ctrl, int status)
 	}
 }
 
+static void
+__nvme_fc_terminate_io(struct nvme_fc_ctrl *ctrl)
+{
+	nvme_stop_keep_alive(&ctrl->ctrl);
+
+	/* will block will waiting for io to terminate */
+	nvme_fc_delete_association(ctrl);
+
+	if (ctrl->ctrl.state != NVME_CTRL_CONNECTING &&
+	    !nvme_change_ctrl_state(&ctrl->ctrl, NVME_CTRL_CONNECTING))
+		dev_err(ctrl->ctrl.device,
+			"NVME-FC{%d}: error_recovery: Couldn't change state "
+			"to CONNECTING\n", ctrl->cnum);
+}
+
 static void
 nvme_fc_reset_ctrl_work(struct work_struct *work)
 {
@@ -2872,18 +2912,10 @@ nvme_fc_reset_ctrl_work(struct work_struct *work)
 		container_of(work, struct nvme_fc_ctrl, ctrl.reset_work);
 	int ret;
 
+	__nvme_fc_terminate_io(ctrl);
+
 	nvme_stop_ctrl(&ctrl->ctrl);
 
-	/* will block will waiting for io to terminate */
-	nvme_fc_delete_association(ctrl);
-
-	if (!nvme_change_ctrl_state(&ctrl->ctrl, NVME_CTRL_CONNECTING)) {
-		dev_err(ctrl->ctrl.device,
-			"NVME-FC{%d}: error_recovery: Couldn't change state "
-			"to CONNECTING\n", ctrl->cnum);
-		return;
-	}
-
 	if (ctrl->rport->remoteport.port_state == FC_OBJSTATE_ONLINE)
 		ret = nvme_fc_create_association(ctrl);
 	else
@@ -2897,6 +2929,24 @@ nvme_fc_reset_ctrl_work(struct work_struct *work)
 			ctrl->cnum);
 }
 
+static void
+nvme_fc_connect_err_work(struct work_struct *work)
+{
+	struct nvme_fc_ctrl *ctrl =
+			container_of(work, struct nvme_fc_ctrl, err_work);
+
+	__nvme_fc_terminate_io(ctrl);
+
+	atomic_set(&ctrl->err_work_active, 0);
+
+	/*
+	 * Rescheduling the connection after recovering
+	 * from the io error is left to the reconnect work
+	 * item, which is what should have stalled waiting on
+	 * the io that had the error that scheduled this work.
+	 */
+}
+
 static const struct nvme_ctrl_ops nvme_fc_ctrl_ops = {
 	.name			= "fc",
 	.module			= THIS_MODULE,
@@ -3007,6 +3057,7 @@ nvme_fc_init_ctrl(struct device *dev, struct nvmf_ctrl_options *opts,
 	ctrl->cnum = idx;
 	ctrl->ioq_live = false;
 	ctrl->assoc_active = false;
+	atomic_set(&ctrl->err_work_active, 0);
 	init_waitqueue_head(&ctrl->ioabort_wait);
 
 	get_device(ctrl->dev);
@@ -3014,6 +3065,7 @@ nvme_fc_init_ctrl(struct device *dev, struct nvmf_ctrl_options *opts,
 
 	INIT_WORK(&ctrl->ctrl.reset_work, nvme_fc_reset_ctrl_work);
 	INIT_DELAYED_WORK(&ctrl->connect_work, nvme_fc_connect_ctrl_work);
+	INIT_WORK(&ctrl->err_work, nvme_fc_connect_err_work);
 	spin_lock_init(&ctrl->lock);
 
 	/* io queue count */
@@ -3103,6 +3155,7 @@ nvme_fc_init_ctrl(struct device *dev, struct nvmf_ctrl_options *opts,
 fail_ctrl:
 	nvme_change_ctrl_state(&ctrl->ctrl, NVME_CTRL_DELETING);
 	cancel_work_sync(&ctrl->ctrl.reset_work);
+	cancel_work_sync(&ctrl->err_work);
 	cancel_delayed_work_sync(&ctrl->connect_work);
 
 	ctrl->ctrl.opts = NULL;