diff --git a/sys/dev/disk/nvme/nvme.c b/sys/dev/disk/nvme/nvme.c
--- a/sys/dev/disk/nvme/nvme.c
+++ b/sys/dev/disk/nvme/nvme.c
@@ -122,11 +122,15 @@
  * Allocate submission and completion queues.  If qid is 0 we are allocating
  * the ADMIN queues, otherwise we are allocating I/O queues.
  */
-int
-nvme_alloc_subqueue(nvme_softc_t *sc, uint16_t qid)
-{
-	nvme_subqueue_t *queue = &sc->subqueues[qid];
-	int error = 0;
+int
+nvme_alloc_subqueue(nvme_softc_t *sc, uint16_t qid)
+{
+	nvme_subqueue_t *queue;
+	int error = 0;
+
+	if (qid >= NVME_MAX_QUEUES)
+		return EINVAL;
+	queue = &sc->subqueues[qid];
 
 	/*
 	 * For now implement the maximum queue size negotiated in the