diff --git a/drivers/nvme/host/fc.c b/drivers/nvme/host/fc.c
index 5f07a6b29276..6c3d469eed7e 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/host/fc.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/host/fc.c
@@ -3508,13 +3508,6 @@ nvme_fc_init_ctrl(struct device *dev, struct nvmf_ctrl_options *opts,
 
 	nvme_fc_init_queue(ctrl, 0);
 
-	ret = nvme_alloc_admin_tag_set(&ctrl->ctrl, &ctrl->admin_tag_set,
-			&nvme_fc_admin_mq_ops,
-			struct_size((struct nvme_fcp_op_w_sgl *)NULL, priv,
-				    ctrl->lport->ops->fcprqst_priv_sz));
-	if (ret)
-		goto out_free_queues;
-
 	/*
 	 * Would have been nice to init io queues tag set as well.
 	 * However, we require interaction from the controller
@@ -3524,10 +3517,17 @@ nvme_fc_init_ctrl(struct device *dev, struct nvmf_ctrl_options *opts,
 
 	ret = nvme_init_ctrl(&ctrl->ctrl, dev, &nvme_fc_ctrl_ops, 0);
 	if (ret)
-		goto out_cleanup_tagset;
+		goto out_free_queues;
 
 	/* at this point, teardown path changes to ref counting on nvme ctrl */
 
+	ret = nvme_alloc_admin_tag_set(&ctrl->ctrl, &ctrl->admin_tag_set,
+			&nvme_fc_admin_mq_ops,
+			struct_size((struct nvme_fcp_op_w_sgl *)NULL, priv,
+				    ctrl->lport->ops->fcprqst_priv_sz));
+	if (ret)
+		goto fail_ctrl;
+
 	spin_lock_irqsave(&rport->lock, flags);
 	list_add_tail(&ctrl->ctrl_list, &rport->ctrl_list);
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&rport->lock, flags);
@@ -3579,8 +3579,6 @@ nvme_fc_init_ctrl(struct device *dev, struct nvmf_ctrl_options *opts,
 
 	return ERR_PTR(-EIO);
 
-out_cleanup_tagset:
-	nvme_remove_admin_tag_set(&ctrl->ctrl);
 out_free_queues:
 	kfree(ctrl->queues);
 out_free_ida: