diff --git a/drivers/nvme/target/core.c b/drivers/nvme/target/core.c
index 07eb45d32a7a055acaab75305de7bd3965fb418f..7282ea8d3b96c9b49cda238695a90e78d957652b 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/target/core.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/target/core.c
@@ -879,21 +879,22 @@ static void nvmet_ctrl_free(struct kref *ref)
 	struct nvmet_ctrl *ctrl = container_of(ref, struct nvmet_ctrl, ref);
 	struct nvmet_subsys *subsys = ctrl->subsys;
 
-	nvmet_stop_keep_alive_timer(ctrl);
-
 	mutex_lock(&subsys->lock);
 	list_del(&ctrl->subsys_entry);
 	mutex_unlock(&subsys->lock);
 
+	nvmet_stop_keep_alive_timer(ctrl);
+
 	flush_work(&ctrl->async_event_work);
 	cancel_work_sync(&ctrl->fatal_err_work);
 
 	ida_simple_remove(&cntlid_ida, ctrl->cntlid);
-	nvmet_subsys_put(subsys);
 
 	kfree(ctrl->sqs);
 	kfree(ctrl->cqs);
 	kfree(ctrl);
+
+	nvmet_subsys_put(subsys);
 }
 
 void nvmet_ctrl_put(struct nvmet_ctrl *ctrl)