An apparatus comprises a processing device configured to identify a number of outstanding input-output (IO) operations corresponding to at least one target of a storage system, wherein the identifying is performed periodically at designated time intervals. The processing device is further configured to determine whether the number of outstanding IO operations is trending upward and exceeds a threshold over a plurality of the designated time intervals. At least one message indicating a queue full condition is generated responsive to an affirmative determination that the number of outstanding IO operations is trending upward and an affirmative determination that the number of outstanding IO operations exceeds the threshold. The at least one message is sent to one or more host devices associated with one or more initiators corresponding to the at least one target of the storage system.