diff --git a/hw/nvme/ctrl.c b/hw/nvme/ctrl.c
index ac3885ce5079..9bc56075f66f 100644
--- a/hw/nvme/ctrl.c
+++ b/hw/nvme/ctrl.c
@@ -5741,7 +5741,6 @@ static uint16_t nvme_ns_attachment(NvmeCtrl *n, NvmeRequest *req)
 typedef struct NvmeFormatAIOCB {
     BlockAIOCB common;
     BlockAIOCB *aiocb;
-    QEMUBH *bh;
     NvmeRequest *req;
     int ret;
 
@@ -5756,14 +5755,15 @@ typedef struct NvmeFormatAIOCB {
     uint8_t pil;
 } NvmeFormatAIOCB;
 
-static void nvme_format_bh(void *opaque);
-
 static void nvme_format_cancel(BlockAIOCB *aiocb)
 {
     NvmeFormatAIOCB *iocb = container_of(aiocb, NvmeFormatAIOCB, common);
 
+    iocb->ret = -ECANCELED;
+
     if (iocb->aiocb) {
         blk_aio_cancel_async(iocb->aiocb);
+        iocb->aiocb = NULL;
     }
 }
 
@@ -5787,13 +5787,17 @@ static void nvme_format_set(NvmeNamespace *ns, uint8_t lbaf, uint8_t mset,
     nvme_ns_init_format(ns);
 }
 
+static void nvme_do_format(NvmeFormatAIOCB *iocb);
+
 static void nvme_format_ns_cb(void *opaque, int ret)
 {
     NvmeFormatAIOCB *iocb = opaque;
     NvmeNamespace *ns = iocb->ns;
     int bytes;
 
-    if (ret < 0) {
+    if (iocb->ret < 0) {
+        goto done;
+    } else if (ret < 0) {
         iocb->ret = ret;
         goto done;
     }
@@ -5817,8 +5821,7 @@ static void nvme_format_ns_cb(void *opaque, int ret)
     iocb->offset = 0;
 
 done:
-    iocb->aiocb = NULL;
-    qemu_bh_schedule(iocb->bh);
+    nvme_do_format(iocb);
 }
 
 static uint16_t nvme_format_check(NvmeNamespace *ns, uint8_t lbaf, uint8_t pi)
@@ -5842,9 +5845,8 @@ static uint16_t nvme_format_check(NvmeNamespace *ns, uint8_t lbaf, uint8_t pi)
     return NVME_SUCCESS;
 }
 
-static void nvme_format_bh(void *opaque)
+static void nvme_do_format(NvmeFormatAIOCB *iocb)
 {
-    NvmeFormatAIOCB *iocb = opaque;
     NvmeRequest *req = iocb->req;
     NvmeCtrl *n = nvme_ctrl(req);
     uint32_t dw10 = le32_to_cpu(req->cmd.cdw10);
@@ -5882,11 +5884,7 @@ static void nvme_format_bh(void *opaque)
     return;
 
 done:
-    qemu_bh_delete(iocb->bh);
-    iocb->bh = NULL;
-
     iocb->common.cb(iocb->common.opaque, iocb->ret);
-
     qemu_aio_unref(iocb);
 }
 
@@ -5905,7 +5903,6 @@ static uint16_t nvme_format(NvmeCtrl *n, NvmeRequest *req)
     iocb = qemu_aio_get(&nvme_format_aiocb_info, NULL, nvme_misc_cb, req);
 
     iocb->req = req;
-    iocb->bh = qemu_bh_new(nvme_format_bh, iocb);
     iocb->ret = 0;
     iocb->ns = NULL;
     iocb->nsid = 0;
@@ -5934,14 +5931,13 @@ static uint16_t nvme_format(NvmeCtrl *n, NvmeRequest *req)
     }
 
     req->aiocb = &iocb->common;
-    qemu_bh_schedule(iocb->bh);
+    nvme_do_format(iocb);
 
     return NVME_NO_COMPLETE;
 
 out:
-    qemu_bh_delete(iocb->bh);
-    iocb->bh = NULL;
     qemu_aio_unref(iocb);
+
     return status;
 }