diff --git a/include/spdk/vhost.h b/include/spdk/vhost.h
index dfb0f0af28..f0e8fba589 100644
--- a/include/spdk/vhost.h
+++ b/include/spdk/vhost.h
@@ -327,37 +327,6 @@ int spdk_vhost_dev_remove(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev);
  */
 struct spdk_bdev *spdk_vhost_blk_get_dev(struct spdk_vhost_dev *ctrlr);
 
-
-/**
- * Call function on reactor of given vhost device. If device is not in use, the
- * event will be called right away on the caller's thread.
- *
- * This function is thread safe.
- *
- * \param vdev_name name of the vhost device to run this event on.
- * \param fn function to be called. The first parameter of callback function is
- * either actual spdk_vhost_dev pointer or NULL in case vdev with given name doesn't
- * exist. The second param is user provided argument *arg*.
- * \param arg parameter to be passed to *fn*.
- */
-void spdk_vhost_call_external_event(const char *vdev_name, spdk_vhost_event_fn fn, void *arg);
-
-/**
- * Call function for each available vhost device on
- * it's reactor.  This will call given function in a chain,
- * meaning that each callback will be called after the
- * previous one has finished. After given function has
- * been called for all vdevs, it will be called once
- * again with first param - vhost device- set to NULL.
- *
- * This function is thread safe.
- *
- * \param fn function to be called for each vdev. The first param will be
- * either vdev pointer or NULL. The second param is user provided argument *arg*.
- * \param arg parameter to be passed to *fn*.
- */
-void spdk_vhost_call_external_event_foreach(spdk_vhost_event_fn fn, void *arg);
-
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/lib/vhost/vhost.c b/lib/vhost/vhost.c
index 0a20327be5..412f279024 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/vhost.c
+++ b/lib/vhost/vhost.c
@@ -1308,17 +1308,6 @@ destroy_connection(int vid)
 	pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_spdk_vhost_mutex);
 }
 
-void
-spdk_vhost_call_external_event(const char *ctrlr_name, spdk_vhost_event_fn fn, void *arg)
-{
-	struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev;
-
-	pthread_mutex_lock(&g_spdk_vhost_mutex);
-	vdev = spdk_vhost_dev_find(ctrlr_name);
-	fn(vdev, arg);
-	pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_spdk_vhost_mutex);
-}
-
 static void
 spdk_vhost_external_event_foreach_continue(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev,
 		struct spdk_vhost_session *vsession,
@@ -1364,19 +1353,6 @@ spdk_vhost_dev_foreach_session(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev,
 	spdk_vhost_external_event_foreach_continue(vdev, vsession, fn, arg);
 }
 
-void
-spdk_vhost_call_external_event_foreach(spdk_vhost_event_fn fn, void *arg)
-{
-	struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev, *tmp;
-
-	pthread_mutex_lock(&g_spdk_vhost_mutex);
-	TAILQ_FOREACH_SAFE(vdev, &g_spdk_vhost_devices, tailq, tmp) {
-		fn(vdev, arg);
-	}
-	fn(NULL, arg);
-	pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_spdk_vhost_mutex);
-}
-
 void
 spdk_vhost_lock(void)
 {
@@ -1438,29 +1414,25 @@ spdk_vhost_init(void)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int
-_spdk_vhost_fini_remove_vdev_cb(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev, void *arg)
-{
-	spdk_vhost_fini_cb fini_cb = arg;
-
-	if (vdev != NULL) {
-		spdk_vhost_dev_remove(vdev);
-		/* don't care if it fails, there's nothing we can do for now */
-		return 0;
-	}
-
-	/* All devices are removed now. */
-	free(g_num_ctrlrs);
-	fini_cb();
-	return 0;
-}
-
 static void
 _spdk_vhost_fini(void *arg1, void *arg2)
 {
 	spdk_vhost_fini_cb fini_cb = arg1;
+	struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev, *tmp;
 
-	spdk_vhost_call_external_event_foreach(_spdk_vhost_fini_remove_vdev_cb, fini_cb);
+	spdk_vhost_lock();
+	vdev = spdk_vhost_dev_next(NULL);
+	while (vdev != NULL) {
+		tmp = spdk_vhost_dev_next(vdev);
+		spdk_vhost_dev_remove(vdev);
+		/* don't care if it fails, there's nothing we can do for now */
+		vdev = tmp;
+	}
+	spdk_vhost_unlock();
+
+	/* All devices are removed now. */
+	free(g_num_ctrlrs);
+	fini_cb();
 }
 
 void
@@ -1484,61 +1456,39 @@ spdk_vhost_fini(spdk_vhost_fini_cb fini_cb)
 	pthread_detach(tid);
 }
 
-struct spdk_vhost_write_config_json_ctx {
-	struct spdk_json_write_ctx *w;
-	struct spdk_event *done_ev;
-};
-
-static int
-spdk_vhost_config_json_cb(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev, void *arg)
-{
-	struct spdk_vhost_write_config_json_ctx *ctx = arg;
-	uint32_t delay_base_us;
-	uint32_t iops_threshold;
-
-	if (vdev == NULL) {
-		spdk_json_write_array_end(ctx->w);
-		spdk_event_call(ctx->done_ev);
-		free(ctx);
-		return 0;
-	}
-
-	vdev->backend->write_config_json(vdev, ctx->w);
-
-	spdk_vhost_get_coalescing(vdev, &delay_base_us, &iops_threshold);
-	if (delay_base_us) {
-		spdk_json_write_object_begin(ctx->w);
-		spdk_json_write_named_string(ctx->w, "method", "set_vhost_controller_coalescing");
-
-		spdk_json_write_named_object_begin(ctx->w, "params");
-		spdk_json_write_named_string(ctx->w, "ctrlr", vdev->name);
-		spdk_json_write_named_uint32(ctx->w, "delay_base_us", delay_base_us);
-		spdk_json_write_named_uint32(ctx->w, "iops_threshold", iops_threshold);
-		spdk_json_write_object_end(ctx->w);
-
-		spdk_json_write_object_end(ctx->w);
-	}
-
-	return 0;
-}
-
 void
 spdk_vhost_config_json(struct spdk_json_write_ctx *w, struct spdk_event *done_ev)
 {
-	struct spdk_vhost_write_config_json_ctx *ctx;
-
-	ctx = calloc(1, sizeof(*ctx));
-	if (!ctx) {
-		spdk_event_call(done_ev);
-		return;
-	}
-
-	ctx->w = w;
-	ctx->done_ev = done_ev;
+	struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev;
+	uint32_t delay_base_us;
+	uint32_t iops_threshold;
 
 	spdk_json_write_array_begin(w);
 
-	spdk_vhost_call_external_event_foreach(spdk_vhost_config_json_cb, ctx);
+	spdk_vhost_lock();
+	vdev = spdk_vhost_dev_next(NULL);
+	while (vdev != NULL) {
+		vdev->backend->write_config_json(vdev, w);
+
+		spdk_vhost_get_coalescing(vdev, &delay_base_us, &iops_threshold);
+		if (delay_base_us) {
+			spdk_json_write_object_begin(w);
+			spdk_json_write_named_string(w, "method", "set_vhost_controller_coalescing");
+
+			spdk_json_write_named_object_begin(w, "params");
+			spdk_json_write_named_string(w, "ctrlr", vdev->name);
+			spdk_json_write_named_uint32(w, "delay_base_us", delay_base_us);
+			spdk_json_write_named_uint32(w, "iops_threshold", iops_threshold);
+			spdk_json_write_object_end(w);
+
+			spdk_json_write_object_end(w);
+		}
+		vdev = spdk_vhost_dev_next(vdev);
+	}
+	spdk_vhost_unlock();
+
+	spdk_json_write_array_end(w);
+	spdk_event_call(done_ev);
 }
 
 SPDK_LOG_REGISTER_COMPONENT("vhost", SPDK_LOG_VHOST)
diff --git a/lib/vhost/vhost_blk.c b/lib/vhost/vhost_blk.c
index ddd22c12a5..a32c482a97 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/vhost_blk.c
+++ b/lib/vhost/vhost_blk.c
@@ -596,21 +596,17 @@ _spdk_vhost_session_bdev_remove_cb(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev, struct spdk_vhos
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int
-_bdev_remove_cb(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev, void *arg)
-{
-	SPDK_WARNLOG("Controller %s: Hot-removing bdev - all further requests will fail.\n",
-		     vdev->name);
-	spdk_vhost_dev_foreach_session(vdev, _spdk_vhost_session_bdev_remove_cb, NULL);
-	return 0;
-}
-
 static void
 bdev_remove_cb(void *remove_ctx)
 {
 	struct spdk_vhost_blk_dev *bvdev = remove_ctx;
 
-	spdk_vhost_call_external_event(bvdev->vdev.name, _bdev_remove_cb, bvdev);
+	SPDK_WARNLOG("Controller %s: Hot-removing bdev - all further requests will fail.\n",
+		     bvdev->vdev.name);
+
+	spdk_vhost_lock();
+	spdk_vhost_dev_foreach_session(&bvdev->vdev, _spdk_vhost_session_bdev_remove_cb, NULL);
+	spdk_vhost_unlock();
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/lib/vhost/vhost_scsi.c b/lib/vhost/vhost_scsi.c
index 1e74c0ec51..b641f713bf 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/vhost_scsi.c
+++ b/lib/vhost/vhost_scsi.c
@@ -208,15 +208,6 @@ spdk_vhost_scsi_session_process_removed(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int
-spdk_vhost_scsi_dev_process_removed(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev, void *arg)
-{
-	spdk_vhost_dev_foreach_session(vdev,
-				       spdk_vhost_scsi_session_process_removed,
-				       arg);
-	return 0;
-}
-
 static void
 process_removed_devs(struct spdk_vhost_scsi_session *svsession)
 {
@@ -232,11 +223,12 @@ process_removed_devs(struct spdk_vhost_scsi_session *svsession)
 			/* detach the device from this session */
 			spdk_scsi_dev_free_io_channels(dev);
 			state->dev = NULL;
-			/* try to detach it globally. we need a lock in order to modify
-			 * the vdev, so use an external event */
-			spdk_vhost_call_external_event(svsession->svdev->vdev.name,
-						       spdk_vhost_scsi_dev_process_removed,
+			/* try to detach it globally */
+			spdk_vhost_lock();
+			spdk_vhost_dev_foreach_session(&svsession->svdev->vdev,
+						       spdk_vhost_scsi_session_process_removed,
 						       (void *)(uintptr_t)i);
+			spdk_vhost_unlock();
 		}
 	}
 }