diff --git a/hw/nvme/ctrl.c b/hw/nvme/ctrl.c
index 69bce20f66..ec75419566 100644
--- a/hw/nvme/ctrl.c
+++ b/hw/nvme/ctrl.c
@@ -656,6 +656,12 @@ static void nvme_irq_check(NvmeCtrl *n)
     if (msix_enabled(pci)) {
         return;
     }
+
+    /* vfs does not implement intx */
+    if (pci_is_vf(pci)) {
+        return;
+    }
+
     if (~intms & n->irq_status) {
         pci_irq_assert(pci);
     } else {
@@ -5423,7 +5429,7 @@ static void nvme_free_cq(NvmeCQueue *cq, NvmeCtrl *n)
         event_notifier_set_handler(&cq->notifier, NULL);
         event_notifier_cleanup(&cq->notifier);
     }
-    if (msix_enabled(pci)) {
+    if (msix_enabled(pci) && cq->irq_enabled) {
         msix_vector_unuse(pci, cq->vector);
     }
     if (cq->cqid) {
@@ -5464,9 +5470,10 @@ static void nvme_init_cq(NvmeCQueue *cq, NvmeCtrl *n, uint64_t dma_addr,
 {
     PCIDevice *pci = PCI_DEVICE(n);
 
-    if (msix_enabled(pci)) {
+    if (msix_enabled(pci) && irq_enabled) {
         msix_vector_use(pci, vector);
     }
+
     cq->ctrl = n;
     cq->cqid = cqid;
     cq->size = size;
@@ -8543,7 +8550,7 @@ static bool nvme_init_pci(NvmeCtrl *n, PCIDevice *pci_dev, Error **errp)
     unsigned nr_vectors;
     int ret;
 
-    pci_conf[PCI_INTERRUPT_PIN] = 1;
+    pci_conf[PCI_INTERRUPT_PIN] = pci_is_vf(pci_dev) ? 0 : 1;
     pci_config_set_prog_interface(pci_conf, 0x2);
 
     if (n->params.use_intel_id) {
@@ -8834,6 +8841,13 @@ static void nvme_realize(PCIDevice *pci_dev, Error **errp)
          */
         n->params.serial = g_strdup(pn->params.serial);
         n->subsys = pn->subsys;
+
+        /*
+         * Assigning this link (strong link) causes an `object_unref` later in
+         * `object_release_link_property`. Increment the refcount to balance
+         * this out.
+         */
+        object_ref(OBJECT(pn->subsys));
     }
 
     if (!nvme_check_params(n, errp)) {
@@ -8904,7 +8918,12 @@ static void nvme_exit(PCIDevice *pci_dev)
         pcie_sriov_pf_exit(pci_dev);
     }
 
-    msix_uninit(pci_dev, &n->bar0, &n->bar0);
+    if (n->params.msix_exclusive_bar && !pci_is_vf(pci_dev)) {
+        msix_uninit_exclusive_bar(pci_dev);
+    } else {
+        msix_uninit(pci_dev, &n->bar0, &n->bar0);
+    }
+
     memory_region_del_subregion(&n->bar0, &n->iomem);
 }