diff --git a/hw/block/nvme-ns.c b/hw/block/nvme-ns.c
index 17e876e6bc..ce79ad4a53 100644
--- a/hw/block/nvme-ns.c
+++ b/hw/block/nvme-ns.c
@@ -321,10 +321,6 @@ int nvme_ns_setup(NvmeCtrl *n, NvmeNamespace *ns, Error **errp)
         nvme_ns_init_zoned(ns, 0);
     }
 
-    if (nvme_register_namespace(n, ns, errp)) {
-        return -1;
-    }
-
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -362,6 +358,13 @@ static void nvme_ns_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
                                 "could not setup namespace: ");
         return;
     }
+
+    if (nvme_register_namespace(n, ns, errp)) {
+        error_propagate_prepend(errp, local_err,
+                                "could not register namespace: ");
+        return;
+    }
+
 }
 
 static Property nvme_ns_props[] = {