diff --git a/drivers/nvme/host/rdma.c b/drivers/nvme/host/rdma.c
index 0a2fd2949ad7..4101961feb44 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/host/rdma.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/host/rdma.c
@@ -1689,18 +1689,28 @@ static enum blk_eh_timer_return
 nvme_rdma_timeout(struct request *rq, bool reserved)
 {
 	struct nvme_rdma_request *req = blk_mq_rq_to_pdu(rq);
+	struct nvme_rdma_queue *queue = req->queue;
+	struct nvme_rdma_ctrl *ctrl = queue->ctrl;
 
-	dev_warn(req->queue->ctrl->ctrl.device,
-		 "I/O %d QID %d timeout, reset controller\n",
-		 rq->tag, nvme_rdma_queue_idx(req->queue));
+	dev_warn(ctrl->ctrl.device, "I/O %d QID %d timeout\n",
+		 rq->tag, nvme_rdma_queue_idx(queue));
 
-	/* queue error recovery */
-	nvme_rdma_error_recovery(req->queue->ctrl);
+	if (ctrl->ctrl.state != NVME_CTRL_LIVE) {
+		/*
+		 * Teardown immediately if controller times out while starting
+		 * or we are already started error recovery. all outstanding
+		 * requests are completed on shutdown, so we return BLK_EH_DONE.
+		 */
+		flush_work(&ctrl->err_work);
+		nvme_rdma_teardown_io_queues(ctrl, false);
+		nvme_rdma_teardown_admin_queue(ctrl, false);
+		return BLK_EH_DONE;
+	}
 
-	/* fail with DNR on cmd timeout */
-	nvme_req(rq)->status = NVME_SC_ABORT_REQ | NVME_SC_DNR;
+	dev_warn(ctrl->ctrl.device, "starting error recovery\n");
+	nvme_rdma_error_recovery(ctrl);
 
-	return BLK_EH_DONE;
+	return BLK_EH_RESET_TIMER;
 }
 
 static blk_status_t nvme_rdma_queue_rq(struct blk_mq_hw_ctx *hctx,