diff --git a/hw/nvme/ctrl.c b/hw/nvme/ctrl.c
index 533ad14e7a..87aeba0564 100644
--- a/hw/nvme/ctrl.c
+++ b/hw/nvme/ctrl.c
@@ -4238,7 +4238,9 @@ static void nvme_cq_notifier(EventNotifier *e)
     NvmeCQueue *cq = container_of(e, NvmeCQueue, notifier);
     NvmeCtrl *n = cq->ctrl;
 
-    event_notifier_test_and_clear(&cq->notifier);
+    if (!event_notifier_test_and_clear(e)) {
+        return;
+    }
 
     nvme_update_cq_head(cq);
 
@@ -4275,7 +4277,9 @@ static void nvme_sq_notifier(EventNotifier *e)
 {
     NvmeSQueue *sq = container_of(e, NvmeSQueue, notifier);
 
-    event_notifier_test_and_clear(&sq->notifier);
+    if (!event_notifier_test_and_clear(e)) {
+        return;
+    }
 
     nvme_process_sq(sq);
 }
@@ -4307,6 +4311,7 @@ static void nvme_free_sq(NvmeSQueue *sq, NvmeCtrl *n)
     if (sq->ioeventfd_enabled) {
         memory_region_del_eventfd(&n->iomem,
                                   0x1000 + offset, 4, false, 0, &sq->notifier);
+        event_notifier_set_handler(&sq->notifier, NULL);
         event_notifier_cleanup(&sq->notifier);
     }
     g_free(sq->io_req);
@@ -4697,6 +4702,7 @@ static void nvme_free_cq(NvmeCQueue *cq, NvmeCtrl *n)
     if (cq->ioeventfd_enabled) {
         memory_region_del_eventfd(&n->iomem,
                                   0x1000 + offset, 4, false, 0, &cq->notifier);
+        event_notifier_set_handler(&cq->notifier, NULL);
         event_notifier_cleanup(&cq->notifier);
     }
     if (msix_enabled(&n->parent_obj)) {
@@ -7664,7 +7670,7 @@ static Property nvme_props[] = {
     DEFINE_PROP_UINT8("vsl", NvmeCtrl, params.vsl, 7),
     DEFINE_PROP_BOOL("use-intel-id", NvmeCtrl, params.use_intel_id, false),
     DEFINE_PROP_BOOL("legacy-cmb", NvmeCtrl, params.legacy_cmb, false),
-    DEFINE_PROP_BOOL("ioeventfd", NvmeCtrl, params.ioeventfd, true),
+    DEFINE_PROP_BOOL("ioeventfd", NvmeCtrl, params.ioeventfd, false),
     DEFINE_PROP_UINT8("zoned.zasl", NvmeCtrl, params.zasl, 0),
     DEFINE_PROP_BOOL("zoned.auto_transition", NvmeCtrl,
                      params.auto_transition_zones, true),