diff --git a/drivers/nvme/target/admin-cmd.c b/drivers/nvme/target/admin-cmd.c
index 2962794ce881ee..fa89b0549c36c1 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/target/admin-cmd.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/target/admin-cmd.c
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ static u16 nvmet_get_smart_log_all(struct nvmet_req *req,
 	unsigned long idx;
 
 	ctrl = req->sq->ctrl;
-	xa_for_each(&ctrl->subsys->namespaces, idx, ns) {
+	nvmet_for_each_enabled_ns(&ctrl->subsys->namespaces, idx, ns) {
 		/* we don't have the right data for file backed ns */
 		if (!ns->bdev)
 			continue;
@@ -331,9 +331,10 @@ static u32 nvmet_format_ana_group(struct nvmet_req *req, u32 grpid,
 	u32 count = 0;
 
 	if (!(req->cmd->get_log_page.lsp & NVME_ANA_LOG_RGO)) {
-		xa_for_each(&ctrl->subsys->namespaces, idx, ns)
+		nvmet_for_each_enabled_ns(&ctrl->subsys->namespaces, idx, ns) {
 			if (ns->anagrpid == grpid)
 				desc->nsids[count++] = cpu_to_le32(ns->nsid);
+		}
 	}
 
 	desc->grpid = cpu_to_le32(grpid);
@@ -772,7 +773,7 @@ static void nvmet_execute_identify_endgrp_list(struct nvmet_req *req)
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	xa_for_each(&ctrl->subsys->namespaces, idx, ns) {
+	nvmet_for_each_enabled_ns(&ctrl->subsys->namespaces, idx, ns) {
 		if (ns->nsid <= min_endgid)
 			continue;
 
@@ -815,7 +816,7 @@ static void nvmet_execute_identify_nslist(struct nvmet_req *req, bool match_css)
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	xa_for_each(&ctrl->subsys->namespaces, idx, ns) {
+	nvmet_for_each_enabled_ns(&ctrl->subsys->namespaces, idx, ns) {
 		if (ns->nsid <= min_nsid)
 			continue;
 		if (match_css && req->ns->csi != req->cmd->identify.csi)
diff --git a/drivers/nvme/target/configfs.c b/drivers/nvme/target/configfs.c
index 9c109b93ffbf82..2b030f0efc3864 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/target/configfs.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/target/configfs.c
@@ -810,18 +810,6 @@ static struct configfs_attribute *nvmet_ns_attrs[] = {
 	NULL,
 };
 
-bool nvmet_subsys_nsid_exists(struct nvmet_subsys *subsys, u32 nsid)
-{
-	struct config_item *ns_item;
-	char name[12];
-
-	snprintf(name, sizeof(name), "%u", nsid);
-	mutex_lock(&subsys->namespaces_group.cg_subsys->su_mutex);
-	ns_item = config_group_find_item(&subsys->namespaces_group, name);
-	mutex_unlock(&subsys->namespaces_group.cg_subsys->su_mutex);
-	return ns_item != NULL;
-}
-
 static void nvmet_ns_release(struct config_item *item)
 {
 	struct nvmet_ns *ns = to_nvmet_ns(item);
diff --git a/drivers/nvme/target/core.c b/drivers/nvme/target/core.c
index 1f4e9989663be9..fde6c555af619e 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/target/core.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/target/core.c
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ static u32 nvmet_max_nsid(struct nvmet_subsys *subsys)
 	unsigned long idx;
 	u32 nsid = 0;
 
-	xa_for_each(&subsys->namespaces, idx, cur)
+	nvmet_for_each_enabled_ns(&subsys->namespaces, idx, cur)
 		nsid = cur->nsid;
 
 	return nsid;
@@ -441,11 +441,14 @@ u16 nvmet_req_find_ns(struct nvmet_req *req)
 	struct nvmet_subsys *subsys = nvmet_req_subsys(req);
 
 	req->ns = xa_load(&subsys->namespaces, nsid);
-	if (unlikely(!req->ns)) {
+	if (unlikely(!req->ns || !req->ns->enabled)) {
 		req->error_loc = offsetof(struct nvme_common_command, nsid);
-		if (nvmet_subsys_nsid_exists(subsys, nsid))
-			return NVME_SC_INTERNAL_PATH_ERROR;
-		return NVME_SC_INVALID_NS | NVME_STATUS_DNR;
+		if (!req->ns) /* ns doesn't exist! */
+			return NVME_SC_INVALID_NS | NVME_STATUS_DNR;
+
+		/* ns exists but it's disabled */
+		req->ns = NULL;
+		return NVME_SC_INTERNAL_PATH_ERROR;
 	}
 
 	percpu_ref_get(&req->ns->ref);
@@ -583,8 +586,6 @@ int nvmet_ns_enable(struct nvmet_ns *ns)
 		goto out_unlock;
 
 	ret = -EMFILE;
-	if (subsys->nr_namespaces == NVMET_MAX_NAMESPACES)
-		goto out_unlock;
 
 	ret = nvmet_bdev_ns_enable(ns);
 	if (ret == -ENOTBLK)
@@ -599,38 +600,19 @@ int nvmet_ns_enable(struct nvmet_ns *ns)
 	list_for_each_entry(ctrl, &subsys->ctrls, subsys_entry)
 		nvmet_p2pmem_ns_add_p2p(ctrl, ns);
 
-	ret = percpu_ref_init(&ns->ref, nvmet_destroy_namespace,
-				0, GFP_KERNEL);
-	if (ret)
-		goto out_dev_put;
-
-	if (ns->nsid > subsys->max_nsid)
-		subsys->max_nsid = ns->nsid;
-
-	ret = xa_insert(&subsys->namespaces, ns->nsid, ns, GFP_KERNEL);
-	if (ret)
-		goto out_restore_subsys_maxnsid;
-
 	if (ns->pr.enable) {
 		ret = nvmet_pr_init_ns(ns);
 		if (ret)
-			goto out_remove_from_subsys;
+			goto out_dev_put;
 	}
 
-	subsys->nr_namespaces++;
-
 	nvmet_ns_changed(subsys, ns->nsid);
 	ns->enabled = true;
+	xa_set_mark(&subsys->namespaces, ns->nsid, NVMET_NS_ENABLED);
 	ret = 0;
 out_unlock:
 	mutex_unlock(&subsys->lock);
 	return ret;
-
-out_remove_from_subsys:
-	xa_erase(&subsys->namespaces, ns->nsid);
-out_restore_subsys_maxnsid:
-	subsys->max_nsid = nvmet_max_nsid(subsys);
-	percpu_ref_exit(&ns->ref);
 out_dev_put:
 	list_for_each_entry(ctrl, &subsys->ctrls, subsys_entry)
 		pci_dev_put(radix_tree_delete(&ctrl->p2p_ns_map, ns->nsid));
@@ -649,15 +631,37 @@ void nvmet_ns_disable(struct nvmet_ns *ns)
 		goto out_unlock;
 
 	ns->enabled = false;
-	xa_erase(&ns->subsys->namespaces, ns->nsid);
-	if (ns->nsid == subsys->max_nsid)
-		subsys->max_nsid = nvmet_max_nsid(subsys);
+	xa_clear_mark(&subsys->namespaces, ns->nsid, NVMET_NS_ENABLED);
 
 	list_for_each_entry(ctrl, &subsys->ctrls, subsys_entry)
 		pci_dev_put(radix_tree_delete(&ctrl->p2p_ns_map, ns->nsid));
 
 	mutex_unlock(&subsys->lock);
 
+	if (ns->pr.enable)
+		nvmet_pr_exit_ns(ns);
+
+	mutex_lock(&subsys->lock);
+	nvmet_ns_changed(subsys, ns->nsid);
+	nvmet_ns_dev_disable(ns);
+out_unlock:
+	mutex_unlock(&subsys->lock);
+}
+
+void nvmet_ns_free(struct nvmet_ns *ns)
+{
+	struct nvmet_subsys *subsys = ns->subsys;
+
+	nvmet_ns_disable(ns);
+
+	mutex_lock(&subsys->lock);
+
+	xa_erase(&subsys->namespaces, ns->nsid);
+	if (ns->nsid == subsys->max_nsid)
+		subsys->max_nsid = nvmet_max_nsid(subsys);
+
+	mutex_unlock(&subsys->lock);
+
 	/*
 	 * Now that we removed the namespaces from the lookup list, we
 	 * can kill the per_cpu ref and wait for any remaining references
@@ -671,21 +675,9 @@ void nvmet_ns_disable(struct nvmet_ns *ns)
 	wait_for_completion(&ns->disable_done);
 	percpu_ref_exit(&ns->ref);
 
-	if (ns->pr.enable)
-		nvmet_pr_exit_ns(ns);
-
 	mutex_lock(&subsys->lock);
-
 	subsys->nr_namespaces--;
-	nvmet_ns_changed(subsys, ns->nsid);
-	nvmet_ns_dev_disable(ns);
-out_unlock:
 	mutex_unlock(&subsys->lock);
-}
-
-void nvmet_ns_free(struct nvmet_ns *ns)
-{
-	nvmet_ns_disable(ns);
 
 	down_write(&nvmet_ana_sem);
 	nvmet_ana_group_enabled[ns->anagrpid]--;
@@ -699,15 +691,33 @@ struct nvmet_ns *nvmet_ns_alloc(struct nvmet_subsys *subsys, u32 nsid)
 {
 	struct nvmet_ns *ns;
 
+	mutex_lock(&subsys->lock);
+
+	if (subsys->nr_namespaces == NVMET_MAX_NAMESPACES)
+		goto out_unlock;
+
 	ns = kzalloc(sizeof(*ns), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!ns)
-		return NULL;
+		goto out_unlock;
 
 	init_completion(&ns->disable_done);
 
 	ns->nsid = nsid;
 	ns->subsys = subsys;
 
+	if (percpu_ref_init(&ns->ref, nvmet_destroy_namespace, 0, GFP_KERNEL))
+		goto out_free;
+
+	if (ns->nsid > subsys->max_nsid)
+		subsys->max_nsid = nsid;
+
+	if (xa_insert(&subsys->namespaces, ns->nsid, ns, GFP_KERNEL))
+		goto out_exit;
+
+	subsys->nr_namespaces++;
+
+	mutex_unlock(&subsys->lock);
+
 	down_write(&nvmet_ana_sem);
 	ns->anagrpid = NVMET_DEFAULT_ANA_GRPID;
 	nvmet_ana_group_enabled[ns->anagrpid]++;
@@ -718,6 +728,14 @@ struct nvmet_ns *nvmet_ns_alloc(struct nvmet_subsys *subsys, u32 nsid)
 	ns->csi = NVME_CSI_NVM;
 
 	return ns;
+out_exit:
+	subsys->max_nsid = nvmet_max_nsid(subsys);
+	percpu_ref_exit(&ns->ref);
+out_free:
+	kfree(ns);
+out_unlock:
+	mutex_unlock(&subsys->lock);
+	return NULL;
 }
 
 static void nvmet_update_sq_head(struct nvmet_req *req)
@@ -1394,7 +1412,7 @@ static void nvmet_setup_p2p_ns_map(struct nvmet_ctrl *ctrl,
 
 	ctrl->p2p_client = get_device(req->p2p_client);
 
-	xa_for_each(&ctrl->subsys->namespaces, idx, ns)
+	nvmet_for_each_enabled_ns(&ctrl->subsys->namespaces, idx, ns)
 		nvmet_p2pmem_ns_add_p2p(ctrl, ns);
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/nvme/target/nvmet.h b/drivers/nvme/target/nvmet.h
index 58328b35dc9682..7233549f7c8a04 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/target/nvmet.h
+++ b/drivers/nvme/target/nvmet.h
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 
 #define NVMET_DEFAULT_VS		NVME_VS(2, 1, 0)
 
+#define NVMET_NS_ENABLED		XA_MARK_1
 #define NVMET_ASYNC_EVENTS		4
 #define NVMET_ERROR_LOG_SLOTS		128
 #define NVMET_NO_ERROR_LOC		((u16)-1)
@@ -33,6 +34,12 @@
 #define NVMET_FR_MAX_SIZE		8
 #define NVMET_PR_LOG_QUEUE_SIZE		64
 
+#define nvmet_for_each_ns(xa, index, entry) \
+	xa_for_each(xa, index, entry)
+
+#define nvmet_for_each_enabled_ns(xa, index, entry) \
+	xa_for_each_marked(xa, index, entry, NVMET_NS_ENABLED)
+
 /*
  * Supported optional AENs:
  */
diff --git a/drivers/nvme/target/pr.c b/drivers/nvme/target/pr.c
index 90e9f5bbe58152..cd22d8333314ea 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/target/pr.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/target/pr.c
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ u16 nvmet_set_feat_resv_notif_mask(struct nvmet_req *req, u32 mask)
 		goto success;
 	}
 
-	xa_for_each(&ctrl->subsys->namespaces, idx, ns) {
+	nvmet_for_each_enabled_ns(&ctrl->subsys->namespaces, idx, ns) {
 		if (ns->pr.enable)
 			WRITE_ONCE(ns->pr.notify_mask, mask);
 	}
@@ -1056,7 +1056,7 @@ int nvmet_ctrl_init_pr(struct nvmet_ctrl *ctrl)
 	 * nvmet_pr_init_ns(), see more details in nvmet_ns_enable().
 	 * So just check ns->pr.enable.
 	 */
-	xa_for_each(&subsys->namespaces, idx, ns) {
+	nvmet_for_each_enabled_ns(&subsys->namespaces, idx, ns) {
 		if (ns->pr.enable) {
 			ret = nvmet_pr_alloc_and_insert_pc_ref(ns, ctrl->cntlid,
 							&ctrl->hostid);
@@ -1067,7 +1067,7 @@ int nvmet_ctrl_init_pr(struct nvmet_ctrl *ctrl)
 	return 0;
 
 free_per_ctrl_refs:
-	xa_for_each(&subsys->namespaces, idx, ns) {
+	nvmet_for_each_enabled_ns(&subsys->namespaces, idx, ns) {
 		if (ns->pr.enable) {
 			pc_ref = xa_erase(&ns->pr_per_ctrl_refs, ctrl->cntlid);
 			if (pc_ref)
@@ -1087,7 +1087,7 @@ void nvmet_ctrl_destroy_pr(struct nvmet_ctrl *ctrl)
 	kfifo_free(&ctrl->pr_log_mgr.log_queue);
 	mutex_destroy(&ctrl->pr_log_mgr.lock);
 
-	xa_for_each(&ctrl->subsys->namespaces, idx, ns) {
+	nvmet_for_each_enabled_ns(&ctrl->subsys->namespaces, idx, ns) {
 		if (ns->pr.enable) {
 			pc_ref = xa_erase(&ns->pr_per_ctrl_refs, ctrl->cntlid);
 			if (pc_ref)