diff --git a/drivers/nvme/host/fabrics.c b/drivers/nvme/host/fabrics.c
index 888285fe2289..52c95259debd 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/host/fabrics.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/host/fabrics.c
@@ -678,6 +678,7 @@ static const match_table_t opt_tokens = {
 #ifdef CONFIG_NVME_TCP_TLS
 	{ NVMF_OPT_TLS,			"tls"			},
 #endif
+	{ NVMF_OPT_CONNECT_ASYNC,	"connect_async=%d"	},
 	{ NVMF_OPT_ERR,			NULL			}
 };
 
@@ -706,6 +707,7 @@ static int nvmf_parse_options(struct nvmf_ctrl_options *opts,
 	opts->tls = false;
 	opts->tls_key = NULL;
 	opts->keyring = NULL;
+	opts->connect_async = false;
 
 	options = o = kstrdup(buf, GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!options)
@@ -1024,6 +1026,19 @@ static int nvmf_parse_options(struct nvmf_ctrl_options *opts,
 			}
 			opts->tls = true;
 			break;
+		case NVMF_OPT_CONNECT_ASYNC:
+			if (match_int(args, &token)) {
+				ret = -EINVAL;
+				goto out;
+			}
+			if (token < 0 || token > 1) {
+				pr_err("Invalid connect_async %d value\n",
+				       token);
+				ret = -EINVAL;
+				goto out;
+			}
+			opts->connect_async = token;
+			break;
 		default:
 			pr_warn("unknown parameter or missing value '%s' in ctrl creation request\n",
 				p);
@@ -1259,7 +1274,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(nvmf_ctrl_options_put);
 				 NVMF_OPT_HOST_ID | NVMF_OPT_DUP_CONNECT |\
 				 NVMF_OPT_DISABLE_SQFLOW | NVMF_OPT_DISCOVERY |\
 				 NVMF_OPT_FAIL_FAST_TMO | NVMF_OPT_DHCHAP_SECRET |\
-				 NVMF_OPT_DHCHAP_CTRL_SECRET)
+				 NVMF_OPT_DHCHAP_CTRL_SECRET | NVMF_OPT_CONNECT_ASYNC)
 
 static struct nvme_ctrl *
 nvmf_create_ctrl(struct device *dev, const char *buf)
diff --git a/drivers/nvme/host/fabrics.h b/drivers/nvme/host/fabrics.h
index 8436533aed16..75bc61401e1b 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/host/fabrics.h
+++ b/drivers/nvme/host/fabrics.h
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ enum {
 	NVMF_OPT_TLS		= 1 << 25,
 	NVMF_OPT_KEYRING	= 1 << 26,
 	NVMF_OPT_TLS_KEY	= 1 << 27,
+	NVMF_OPT_CONNECT_ASYNC	= 1 << 28,
 };
 
 /**
@@ -116,6 +117,7 @@ enum {
  * @nr_poll_queues: number of queues for polling I/O
  * @tos: type of service
  * @fast_io_fail_tmo: Fast I/O fail timeout in seconds
+ * @connect_async: Don't wait for the intial connect attempt to succeed or fail
  */
 struct nvmf_ctrl_options {
 	struct kref		ref;
@@ -146,6 +148,7 @@ struct nvmf_ctrl_options {
 	unsigned int		nr_poll_queues;
 	int			tos;
 	int			fast_io_fail_tmo;
+	bool			connect_async;
 };
 
 int nvmf_ctrl_options_get(struct nvmf_ctrl_options *opts);
diff --git a/drivers/nvme/host/fc.c b/drivers/nvme/host/fc.c
index 7627d10a5812..ebc4ff6b3343 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/host/fc.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/host/fc.c
@@ -169,6 +169,7 @@ struct nvme_fc_ctrl {
 
 	struct work_struct	ioerr_work;
 	struct delayed_work	connect_work;
+	struct completion	connect_completion;
 
 	struct kref		ref;
 	unsigned long		flags;
@@ -803,6 +804,7 @@ nvme_fc_ctrl_connectivity_loss(struct nvme_fc_ctrl *ctrl)
 			dev_warn(ctrl->ctrl.device,
 				"NVME-FC{%d}: Couldn't schedule reset.\n",
 				ctrl->cnum);
+			complete(&ctrl->connect_completion);
 			nvme_fc_ctrl_put(ctrl);
 		}
 		break;
@@ -871,6 +873,7 @@ nvme_fc_unregister_remoteport(struct nvme_fc_remote_port *portptr)
 			dev_warn(ctrl->ctrl.device,
 				"NVME-FC{%d}: controller connectivity lost.\n",
 				ctrl->cnum);
+			complete(&ctrl->connect_completion);
 			nvme_fc_ctrl_put(ctrl);
 		} else
 			nvme_fc_ctrl_connectivity_loss(ctrl);
@@ -3326,6 +3329,7 @@ nvme_fc_reconnect_or_delete(struct nvme_fc_ctrl *ctrl, int status)
 				ctrl->cnum, min_t(int, portptr->dev_loss_tmo,
 					(ctrl->ctrl.opts->max_reconnects *
 					 ctrl->ctrl.opts->reconnect_delay)));
+		complete(&ctrl->connect_completion);
 		nvme_fc_ctrl_put(ctrl);
 	}
 }
@@ -3385,10 +3389,12 @@ nvme_fc_connect_ctrl_work(struct work_struct *work)
 	ret = nvme_fc_create_association(ctrl);
 	if (ret)
 		nvme_fc_reconnect_or_delete(ctrl, ret);
-	else
+	else {
 		dev_info(ctrl->ctrl.device,
 			"NVME-FC{%d}: controller connect complete\n",
 			ctrl->cnum);
+		complete(&ctrl->connect_completion);
+	}
 }
 
 
@@ -3494,6 +3500,7 @@ 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_completion(&ctrl->connect_completion);
 	INIT_WORK(&ctrl->ioerr_work, nvme_fc_ctrl_ioerr_work);
 	spin_lock_init(&ctrl->lock);
 
@@ -3541,6 +3548,9 @@ nvme_fc_init_ctrl(struct device *dev, struct nvmf_ctrl_options *opts,
 	list_add_tail(&ctrl->ctrl_list, &rport->ctrl_list);
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&rport->lock, flags);
 
+	if (!opts->connect_async)
+		nvme_fc_ctrl_get(ctrl);
+
 	if (!nvme_change_ctrl_state(&ctrl->ctrl, NVME_CTRL_RESETTING) ||
 	    !nvme_change_ctrl_state(&ctrl->ctrl, NVME_CTRL_CONNECTING)) {
 		dev_err(ctrl->ctrl.device,
@@ -3557,6 +3567,19 @@ nvme_fc_init_ctrl(struct device *dev, struct nvmf_ctrl_options *opts,
 
 	flush_delayed_work(&ctrl->connect_work);
 
+	if (!opts->connect_async) {
+		enum nvme_ctrl_state state;
+
+		wait_for_completion(&ctrl->connect_completion);
+		state = nvme_ctrl_state(&ctrl->ctrl);
+		nvme_fc_ctrl_put(ctrl);
+
+		if (state != NVME_CTRL_LIVE) {
+			/* Cleanup is handled by the connect state machine */
+			return ERR_PTR(-EIO);
+		}
+	}
+
 	dev_info(ctrl->ctrl.device,
 		"NVME-FC{%d}: new ctrl: NQN \"%s\", hostnqn: %s\n",
 		ctrl->cnum, nvmf_ctrl_subsysnqn(&ctrl->ctrl), opts->host->nqn);
@@ -3913,6 +3936,7 @@ nvme_fc_delete_controllers(struct nvme_fc_rport *rport)
 		dev_warn(ctrl->ctrl.device,
 			"NVME-FC{%d}: transport unloading: deleting ctrl\n",
 			ctrl->cnum);
+		complete(&ctrl->connect_completion);
 		nvme_fc_ctrl_put(ctrl);
 	}
 	spin_unlock(&rport->lock);
