diff --git a/drivers/nvme/target/admin-cmd.c b/drivers/nvme/target/admin-cmd.c
index 5e366502fb75..66fc8d2a7fe3 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/target/admin-cmd.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/target/admin-cmd.c
@@ -1586,7 +1586,7 @@ void nvmet_execute_async_event(struct nvmet_req *req)
 	ctrl->async_event_cmds[ctrl->nr_async_event_cmds++] = req;
 	mutex_unlock(&ctrl->lock);
 
-	queue_work(nvmet_wq, &ctrl->async_event_work);
+	queue_work(nvmet_aen_wq, &ctrl->async_event_work);
 }
 
 void nvmet_execute_keep_alive(struct nvmet_req *req)
diff --git a/drivers/nvme/target/core.c b/drivers/nvme/target/core.c
index eab3e4fc0f74..a25ac4bf9972 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/target/core.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/target/core.c
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ static DEFINE_IDA(cntlid_ida);
 
 struct workqueue_struct *nvmet_wq;
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(nvmet_wq);
+struct workqueue_struct *nvmet_aen_wq;
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(nvmet_aen_wq);
 
 /*
  * This read/write semaphore is used to synchronize access to configuration
@@ -206,7 +208,7 @@ void nvmet_add_async_event(struct nvmet_ctrl *ctrl, u8 event_type,
 	list_add_tail(&aen->entry, &ctrl->async_events);
 	mutex_unlock(&ctrl->lock);
 
-	queue_work(nvmet_wq, &ctrl->async_event_work);
+	queue_work(nvmet_aen_wq, &ctrl->async_event_work);
 }
 
 static void nvmet_add_to_changed_ns_log(struct nvmet_ctrl *ctrl, __le32 nsid)
@@ -1959,9 +1961,14 @@ static int __init nvmet_init(void)
 	if (!nvmet_wq)
 		goto out_free_buffered_work_queue;
 
+	nvmet_aen_wq = alloc_workqueue("nvmet-aen-wq",
+			WQ_MEM_RECLAIM | WQ_UNBOUND, 0);
+	if (!nvmet_aen_wq)
+		goto out_free_nvmet_work_queue;
+
 	error = nvmet_init_debugfs();
 	if (error)
-		goto out_free_nvmet_work_queue;
+		goto out_free_nvmet_aen_work_queue;
 
 	error = nvmet_init_discovery();
 	if (error)
@@ -1977,6 +1984,8 @@ out_exit_discovery:
 	nvmet_exit_discovery();
 out_exit_debugfs:
 	nvmet_exit_debugfs();
+out_free_nvmet_aen_work_queue:
+	destroy_workqueue(nvmet_aen_wq);
 out_free_nvmet_work_queue:
 	destroy_workqueue(nvmet_wq);
 out_free_buffered_work_queue:
@@ -1994,6 +2003,7 @@ static void __exit nvmet_exit(void)
 	nvmet_exit_discovery();
 	nvmet_exit_debugfs();
 	ida_destroy(&cntlid_ida);
+	destroy_workqueue(nvmet_aen_wq);
 	destroy_workqueue(nvmet_wq);
 	destroy_workqueue(buffered_io_wq);
 	destroy_workqueue(zbd_wq);
diff --git a/drivers/nvme/target/nvmet.h b/drivers/nvme/target/nvmet.h
index b664b584fdc8..319d6a5e9cf0 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/target/nvmet.h
+++ b/drivers/nvme/target/nvmet.h
@@ -501,6 +501,7 @@ extern struct kmem_cache *nvmet_bvec_cache;
 extern struct workqueue_struct *buffered_io_wq;
 extern struct workqueue_struct *zbd_wq;
 extern struct workqueue_struct *nvmet_wq;
+extern struct workqueue_struct *nvmet_aen_wq;
 
 static inline void nvmet_set_result(struct nvmet_req *req, u32 result)
 {
diff --git a/drivers/nvme/target/rdma.c b/drivers/nvme/target/rdma.c
index 9c12b2361a6d..038432364967 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/target/rdma.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/target/rdma.c
@@ -2088,6 +2088,7 @@ static void nvmet_rdma_remove_one(struct ib_device *ib_device, void *client_data
 	mutex_unlock(&nvmet_rdma_queue_mutex);
 
 	flush_workqueue(nvmet_wq);
+	flush_workqueue(nvmet_aen_wq);
 }
 
 static struct ib_client nvmet_rdma_ib_client = {