diff --git a/drivers/nvme/target/pci-epf.c b/drivers/nvme/target/pci-epf.c
index 565d2bd36dcd..d55ad334670c 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/target/pci-epf.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/target/pci-epf.c
@@ -1265,7 +1265,7 @@ static u16 nvmet_pci_epf_create_cq(struct nvmet_ctrl *tctrl,
 	struct nvmet_pci_epf_queue *cq = &ctrl->cq[cqid];
 	u16 status;
 
-	if (test_and_set_bit(NVMET_PCI_EPF_Q_LIVE, &cq->flags))
+	if (test_bit(NVMET_PCI_EPF_Q_LIVE, &cq->flags))
 		return NVME_SC_QID_INVALID | NVME_STATUS_DNR;
 
 	if (!(flags & NVME_QUEUE_PHYS_CONTIG))
@@ -1300,6 +1300,8 @@ static u16 nvmet_pci_epf_create_cq(struct nvmet_ctrl *tctrl,
 	if (status != NVME_SC_SUCCESS)
 		goto err;
 
+	set_bit(NVMET_PCI_EPF_Q_LIVE, &cq->flags);
+
 	dev_dbg(ctrl->dev, "CQ[%u]: %u entries of %zu B, IRQ vector %u\n",
 		cqid, qsize, cq->qes, cq->vector);
 
@@ -1307,7 +1309,6 @@ static u16 nvmet_pci_epf_create_cq(struct nvmet_ctrl *tctrl,
 
 err:
 	clear_bit(NVMET_PCI_EPF_Q_IRQ_ENABLED, &cq->flags);
-	clear_bit(NVMET_PCI_EPF_Q_LIVE, &cq->flags);
 	return status;
 }
 
@@ -1333,7 +1334,7 @@ static u16 nvmet_pci_epf_create_sq(struct nvmet_ctrl *tctrl,
 	struct nvmet_pci_epf_queue *sq = &ctrl->sq[sqid];
 	u16 status;
 
-	if (test_and_set_bit(NVMET_PCI_EPF_Q_LIVE, &sq->flags))
+	if (test_bit(NVMET_PCI_EPF_Q_LIVE, &sq->flags))
 		return NVME_SC_QID_INVALID | NVME_STATUS_DNR;
 
 	if (!(flags & NVME_QUEUE_PHYS_CONTIG))
@@ -1355,7 +1356,7 @@ static u16 nvmet_pci_epf_create_sq(struct nvmet_ctrl *tctrl,
 
 	status = nvmet_sq_create(tctrl, &sq->nvme_sq, sqid, sq->depth);
 	if (status != NVME_SC_SUCCESS)
-		goto out_clear_bit;
+		return status;
 
 	sq->iod_wq = alloc_workqueue("sq%d_wq", WQ_UNBOUND,
 				min_t(int, sq->depth, WQ_MAX_ACTIVE), sqid);
@@ -1365,6 +1366,8 @@ static u16 nvmet_pci_epf_create_sq(struct nvmet_ctrl *tctrl,
 		goto out_destroy_sq;
 	}
 
+	set_bit(NVMET_PCI_EPF_Q_LIVE, &sq->flags);
+
 	dev_dbg(ctrl->dev, "SQ[%u]: %u entries of %zu B\n",
 		sqid, qsize, sq->qes);
 
@@ -1372,8 +1375,6 @@ static u16 nvmet_pci_epf_create_sq(struct nvmet_ctrl *tctrl,
 
 out_destroy_sq:
 	nvmet_sq_destroy(&sq->nvme_sq);
-out_clear_bit:
-	clear_bit(NVMET_PCI_EPF_Q_LIVE, &sq->flags);
 	return status;
 }