diff --git a/hw/nvme/ns.c b/hw/nvme/ns.c
index 870c3ca1a2..62a1f97be0 100644
--- a/hw/nvme/ns.c
+++ b/hw/nvme/ns.c
@@ -546,6 +546,8 @@ static void nvme_ns_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     int i;
 
     if (!n->subsys) {
+        /* If no subsys, the ns cannot be attached to more than one ctrl. */
+        ns->params.shared = false;
         if (ns->params.detached) {
             error_setg(errp, "detached requires that the nvme device is "
                        "linked to an nvme-subsys device");