diff --git a/examples/sock/hello_world/hello_sock.c b/examples/sock/hello_world/hello_sock.c
index e020c46e41..8a74f58c40 100644
--- a/examples/sock/hello_world/hello_sock.c
+++ b/examples/sock/hello_world/hello_sock.c
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@
 static bool g_is_running;
 
 static char *g_host;
+static char *g_sock_impl_name;
 static int g_port;
 static bool g_is_server;
 static bool g_verbose;
@@ -60,6 +61,7 @@ static bool g_verbose;
 struct hello_context_t {
 	bool is_server;
 	char *host;
+	char *sock_impl_name;
 	int port;
 
 	bool verbose;
@@ -84,6 +86,7 @@ hello_sock_usage(void)
 {
 	printf(" -H host_addr  host address\n");
 	printf(" -P port       port number\n");
+	printf(" -N sock_impl  socket implementation, e.g., -N posix or -N vpp\n");
 	printf(" -S            start in server mode\n");
 	printf(" -V            print out additional informations");
 }
@@ -97,6 +100,9 @@ static int hello_sock_parse_arg(int ch, char *arg)
 	case 'H':
 		g_host = arg;
 		break;
+	case 'N':
+		g_sock_impl_name = arg;
+		break;
 	case 'P':
 		g_port = spdk_strtol(arg, 10);
 		if (g_port < 0) {
@@ -211,9 +217,10 @@ hello_sock_connect(struct hello_context_t *ctx)
 	char saddr[ADDR_STR_LEN], caddr[ADDR_STR_LEN];
 	uint16_t cport, sport;
 
-	SPDK_NOTICELOG("Connecting to the server on %s:%d\n", ctx->host, ctx->port);
+	SPDK_NOTICELOG("Connecting to the server on %s:%d with sock_impl(%s)\n", ctx->host, ctx->port,
+		       ctx->sock_impl_name);
 
-	ctx->sock = spdk_sock_connect(ctx->host, ctx->port, NULL);
+	ctx->sock = spdk_sock_connect(ctx->host, ctx->port, ctx->sock_impl_name);
 	if (ctx->sock == NULL) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("connect error(%d): %s\n", errno, spdk_strerror(errno));
 		return -1;
@@ -340,13 +347,14 @@ hello_sock_group_poll(void *arg)
 static int
 hello_sock_listen(struct hello_context_t *ctx)
 {
-	ctx->sock = spdk_sock_listen(ctx->host, ctx->port, NULL);
+	ctx->sock = spdk_sock_listen(ctx->host, ctx->port, ctx->sock_impl_name);
 	if (ctx->sock == NULL) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("Cannot create server socket\n");
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	SPDK_NOTICELOG("Listening connection on %s:%d\n", ctx->host, ctx->port);
+	SPDK_NOTICELOG("Listening connection on %s:%d with sock_impl(%s)\n", ctx->host, ctx->port,
+		       ctx->sock_impl_name);
 
 	/*
 	 * Create sock group for server socket
@@ -406,12 +414,13 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	opts.name = "hello_sock";
 	opts.shutdown_cb = hello_sock_shutdown_cb;
 
-	if ((rc = spdk_app_parse_args(argc, argv, &opts, "H:P:SV", NULL, hello_sock_parse_arg,
+	if ((rc = spdk_app_parse_args(argc, argv, &opts, "H:N:P:SV", NULL, hello_sock_parse_arg,
 				      hello_sock_usage)) != SPDK_APP_PARSE_ARGS_SUCCESS) {
 		exit(rc);
 	}
 	hello_context.is_server = g_is_server;
 	hello_context.host = g_host;
+	hello_context.sock_impl_name = g_sock_impl_name;
 	hello_context.port = g_port;
 	hello_context.verbose = g_verbose;
 
diff --git a/test/iscsi_tgt/sock/sock.sh b/test/iscsi_tgt/sock/sock.sh
index a81660c3ac..fef6488e89 100755
--- a/test/iscsi_tgt/sock/sock.sh
+++ b/test/iscsi_tgt/sock/sock.sh
@@ -66,6 +66,21 @@ function waitfortcp() {
 # $2 = test type posix or vpp. defaults to posix.
 iscsitestinit $1 $2
 
+if [ "$1" == "iso" ]; then
+	TEST_TYPE=$2
+else
+	TEST_TYPE=$1
+fi
+
+if [ -z "$TEST_TYPE" ]; then
+	TEST_TYPE="posix"
+fi
+
+if [ "$TEST_TYPE" != "posix" ] && [ "$TEST_TYPE" != "vpp" ]; then
+        echo "No correct sock implmentation specified"
+        exit 1
+fi
+
 HELLO_SOCK_APP="$TARGET_NS_CMD $rootdir/examples/sock/hello_world/hello_sock"
 if [ $SPDK_TEST_VPP -eq 1 ]; then
 	HELLO_SOCK_APP+=" -L sock_vpp"
@@ -86,7 +101,7 @@ waitfortcp $server_pid $INITIATOR_IP:$ISCSI_PORT
 
 # send message using hello_sock client
 message="**MESSAGE:This is a test message from the client**"
-response=$( echo $message | $HELLO_SOCK_APP -H $INITIATOR_IP -P $ISCSI_PORT )
+response=$( echo $message | $HELLO_SOCK_APP -H $INITIATOR_IP -P $ISCSI_PORT -N $TEST_TYPE)
 
 if ! echo "$response" | grep -q "$message"; then
 	exit 1
@@ -105,7 +120,7 @@ timing_exit sock_client
 timing_enter sock_server
 
 # start echo server using hello_sock echo server
-$HELLO_SOCK_APP -H $TARGET_IP -P $ISCSI_PORT -S & server_pid=$!
+$HELLO_SOCK_APP -H $TARGET_IP -P $ISCSI_PORT -S -N $TEST_TYPE & server_pid=$!
 trap 'killprocess $server_pid; iscsitestfini $1 $2; exit 1' SIGINT SIGTERM EXIT
 waitforlisten $server_pid