diff --git a/lib/vhost/vhost_blk.c b/lib/vhost/vhost_blk.c
index 2114248974..d794e49dd7 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/vhost_blk.c
+++ b/lib/vhost/vhost_blk.c
@@ -1250,13 +1250,6 @@ spdk_vhost_blk_construct(const char *name, const char *cpumask, const char *dev_
 	int ret = 0;
 
 	spdk_vhost_lock();
-	bdev = spdk_bdev_get_by_name(dev_name);
-	if (bdev == NULL) {
-		SPDK_ERRLOG("%s: bdev '%s' not found\n",
-			    name, dev_name);
-		ret = -ENODEV;
-		goto out;
-	}
 
 	bvdev = calloc(1, sizeof(*bvdev));
 	if (bvdev == NULL) {
@@ -1264,6 +1257,14 @@ spdk_vhost_blk_construct(const char *name, const char *cpumask, const char *dev_
 		goto out;
 	}
 
+	ret = spdk_bdev_open_ext(dev_name, true, bdev_event_cb, bvdev, &bvdev->bdev_desc);
+	if (ret != 0) {
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("%s: could not open bdev '%s', error=%d\n",
+			    name, dev_name, ret);
+		goto out;
+	}
+	bdev = spdk_bdev_desc_get_bdev(bvdev->bdev_desc);
+
 	vdev = &bvdev->vdev;
 	vdev->virtio_features = SPDK_VHOST_BLK_FEATURES_BASE;
 	vdev->disabled_features = SPDK_VHOST_BLK_DISABLED_FEATURES;
@@ -1284,13 +1285,6 @@ spdk_vhost_blk_construct(const char *name, const char *cpumask, const char *dev_
 		vdev->virtio_features |= (1ULL << VIRTIO_BLK_F_FLUSH);
 	}
 
-	ret = spdk_bdev_open_ext(dev_name, true, bdev_event_cb, bvdev, &bvdev->bdev_desc);
-	if (ret != 0) {
-		SPDK_ERRLOG("%s: could not open bdev '%s', error=%d\n",
-			    name, dev_name, ret);
-		goto out;
-	}
-
 	/*
 	 * When starting qemu with vhost-user-blk multiqueue, the vhost device will
 	 * be started/stopped many times, related to the queues num, as the