diff --git a/examples/discover-loop.c b/examples/discover-loop.c
index b28edfa0..3f817627 100644
--- a/examples/discover-loop.c
+++ b/examples/discover-loop.c
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ int main()
 		fprintf(stderr, "Failed to allocate memory\n");
 		return ENOMEM;
 	}
-	ret = nvmf_add_ctrl(h, c, &cfg, false);
+	ret = nvmf_add_ctrl(h, c, &cfg);
 	if (ret < 0) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "no controller found\n");
 		return errno;
diff --git a/libnvme/nvme.i b/libnvme/nvme.i
index 25d7ac25..2c856476 100644
--- a/libnvme/nvme.i
+++ b/libnvme/nvme.i
@@ -535,7 +535,7 @@ struct nvme_ns {
       connect_err = 1;
       return;
     }
-    ret = nvmf_add_ctrl(h, $self, cfg, cfg->disable_sqflow);
+    ret = nvmf_add_ctrl(h, $self, cfg);
     if (ret < 0) {
       connect_err = 2;
       return;
diff --git a/src/nvme/fabrics.c b/src/nvme/fabrics.c
index 1e7d1a1f..4d1b48e7 100644
--- a/src/nvme/fabrics.c
+++ b/src/nvme/fabrics.c
@@ -587,14 +587,12 @@ int nvmf_add_ctrl_opts(nvme_ctrl_t c, struct nvme_fabrics_config *cfg)
 }
 
 int nvmf_add_ctrl(nvme_host_t h, nvme_ctrl_t c,
-		  const struct nvme_fabrics_config *cfg,
-		  bool disable_sqflow)
+		  const struct nvme_fabrics_config *cfg)
 {
 	char *argstr;
 	int ret;
 
 	cfg = merge_config(c, cfg);
-	nvme_ctrl_disable_sqflow(c, disable_sqflow);
 	nvme_ctrl_set_discovered(c, true);
 	if (traddr_is_hostname(c)) {
 		ret = hostname2traddr(c);
@@ -627,7 +625,6 @@ nvme_ctrl_t nvmf_connect_disc_entry(nvme_host_t h,
 	const char *transport;
 	char *traddr = NULL, *trsvcid = NULL;
 	nvme_ctrl_t c;
-	bool disable_sqflow = false;
 	int ret;
 
 	switch (e->trtype) {
@@ -709,24 +706,24 @@ nvme_ctrl_t nvmf_connect_disc_entry(nvme_host_t h,
 	}
 
 	if (e->treq & NVMF_TREQ_DISABLE_SQFLOW)
-		disable_sqflow = true;
+		c->cfg.disable_sqflow = true;
 
 	if (e->trtype == NVMF_TRTYPE_TCP &&
 	    (e->treq & NVMF_TREQ_REQUIRED ||
 	     e->treq & NVMF_TREQ_NOT_REQUIRED))
 		c->cfg.tls = true;
 
-	ret = nvmf_add_ctrl(h, c, cfg, disable_sqflow);
+	ret = nvmf_add_ctrl(h, c, cfg);
 	if (!ret)
 		return c;
 
-	if (errno == EINVAL && disable_sqflow) {
+	if (errno == EINVAL && c->cfg.disable_sqflow) {
 		errno = 0;
 		/* disable_sqflow is unrecognized option on older kernels */
 		nvme_msg(LOG_INFO, "failed to connect controller, "
 			 "retry with disabling SQ flow control\n");
-		disable_sqflow = false;
-		ret = nvmf_add_ctrl(h, c, cfg, disable_sqflow);
+		c->cfg.disable_sqflow = false;
+		ret = nvmf_add_ctrl(h, c, cfg);
 		if (!ret)
 			return c;
 	}
diff --git a/src/nvme/fabrics.h b/src/nvme/fabrics.h
index eb7ede73..0475ee7a 100644
--- a/src/nvme/fabrics.h
+++ b/src/nvme/fabrics.h
@@ -160,17 +160,19 @@ void nvmf_default_config(struct nvme_fabrics_config *cfg);
 int nvmf_add_ctrl_opts(nvme_ctrl_t c, struct nvme_fabrics_config *cfg);
 
 /**
- * nvmf_add_ctrl() -
- * @h:
- * @c:
- * @cfg:
- * @disable_sqflow:
+ * nvmf_add_ctrl() - Connect a controller and update topology
+ * @h: Host to which the controller should be attached
+ * @c: Controller to be connected
+ * @cfg: Default configuration for the controller
  *
- * Return:
+ * Issues a 'connect' command to the NVMe-oF controller and inserts @c
+ * into the topology using @h as parent.
+ * @c must be initialized and not connected to the topology.
+ *
+ * Return: 0 on success; on failure errno is set and -1 is returned.
  */
 int nvmf_add_ctrl(nvme_host_t h, nvme_ctrl_t c,
-		  const struct nvme_fabrics_config *cfg,
-		  bool disable_sqflow);
+		  const struct nvme_fabrics_config *cfg);
 
 /**
  * nvmf_get_discovery_log() -
diff --git a/src/nvme/tree.c b/src/nvme/tree.c
index c22d99e6..6fc3810c 100644
--- a/src/nvme/tree.c
+++ b/src/nvme/tree.c
@@ -749,13 +749,6 @@ void nvme_ctrl_set_dhchap_key(nvme_ctrl_t c, const char *key)
 		c->dhchap_key = strdup(key);
 }
 
-void nvme_ctrl_disable_sqflow(nvme_ctrl_t c, bool disable_sqflow)
-{
-	c->cfg.disable_sqflow = disable_sqflow;
-	if (c->s && c->s->h && c->s->h->r)
-		c->s->h->r->modified = true;
-}
-
 void nvme_ctrl_set_discovered(nvme_ctrl_t c, bool discovered)
 {
 	c->discovered = discovered;
diff --git a/src/nvme/tree.h b/src/nvme/tree.h
index 06500ea4..f886ecbb 100644
--- a/src/nvme/tree.h
+++ b/src/nvme/tree.h
@@ -873,15 +873,6 @@ void nvme_ctrl_set_discovery_ctrl(nvme_ctrl_t c, bool discovery);
  */
 bool nvme_ctrl_is_discovery_ctrl(nvme_ctrl_t c);
 
-/**
- * nvme_ctrl_disable_sqflow() -
- * @c:
- * @disable_sqflow:
- *
- * Return:
- */
-void nvme_ctrl_disable_sqflow(nvme_ctrl_t c, bool disable_sqflow);
-
 /**
  * nvme_ctrl_identify() -
  * @c: