diff --git a/drivers/nvme/target/auth.c b/drivers/nvme/target/auth.c
index b34610e2f19d4..9c694c8ee7a0d 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/target/auth.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/target/auth.c
@@ -229,9 +229,7 @@ u8 nvmet_setup_auth(struct nvmet_ctrl *ctrl, struct nvmet_sq *sq, bool reset)
 void nvmet_auth_sq_free(struct nvmet_sq *sq)
 {
 	cancel_delayed_work(&sq->auth_expired_work);
-#ifdef CONFIG_NVME_TARGET_TCP_TLS
-	sq->tls_key = NULL;
-#endif
+
 	kfree(sq->dhchap_c1);
 	sq->dhchap_c1 = NULL;
 	kfree(sq->dhchap_c2);
diff --git a/drivers/nvme/target/fabrics-cmd-auth.c b/drivers/nvme/target/fabrics-cmd-auth.c
index b9ab80c7a6941..f1e613e7c63e5 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/target/fabrics-cmd-auth.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/target/fabrics-cmd-auth.c
@@ -395,10 +395,9 @@ void nvmet_execute_auth_send(struct nvmet_req *req)
 		goto complete;
 	}
 	/* Final states, clear up variables */
-	if (req->sq->dhchap_step == NVME_AUTH_DHCHAP_MESSAGE_FAILURE2) {
-		nvmet_auth_sq_free(req->sq);
+	nvmet_auth_sq_free(req->sq);
+	if (req->sq->dhchap_step == NVME_AUTH_DHCHAP_MESSAGE_FAILURE2)
 		nvmet_ctrl_fatal_error(ctrl);
-	}
 
 complete:
 	nvmet_req_complete(req, status);
@@ -574,7 +573,9 @@ void nvmet_execute_auth_receive(struct nvmet_req *req)
 	status = nvmet_copy_to_sgl(req, 0, d, al);
 	kfree(d);
 done:
-	if (req->sq->dhchap_step == NVME_AUTH_DHCHAP_MESSAGE_FAILURE1) {
+	if (req->sq->dhchap_step == NVME_AUTH_DHCHAP_MESSAGE_SUCCESS2)
+		nvmet_auth_sq_free(req->sq);
+	else if (req->sq->dhchap_step == NVME_AUTH_DHCHAP_MESSAGE_FAILURE1) {
 		nvmet_auth_sq_free(req->sq);
 		nvmet_ctrl_fatal_error(ctrl);
 	}