diff --git a/lib/bdev/bdev.c b/lib/bdev/bdev.c
index 9d7c0fdf19..0258dde8e7 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/bdev.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/bdev.c
@@ -938,8 +938,7 @@ spdk_bdev_io_submit(struct spdk_bdev_io *bdev_io)
 
 	assert(bdev_io->status == SPDK_BDEV_IO_STATUS_PENDING);
 
-	/* QoS channel and thread have been properly configured */
-	if (bdev->ios_per_sec > 0 && bdev->qos_channel && bdev->qos_thread) {
+	if (bdev_io->ch->flags & BDEV_CH_QOS_ENABLED) {
 		bdev_io->io_submit_ch = bdev_io->ch;
 		bdev_io->ch = bdev->qos_channel;
 		spdk_thread_send_msg(bdev->qos_thread, _spdk_bdev_io_submit, bdev_io);
@@ -1140,12 +1139,15 @@ spdk_bdev_channel_create(void *io_device, void *ctx_buf)
 	pthread_mutex_lock(&bdev->mutex);
 
 	/* Rate limiting on this bdev enabled */
-	if (bdev->ios_per_sec > 0 && bdev->qos_channel == NULL) {
-		if (spdk_bdev_qos_channel_create(bdev) != 0) {
-			_spdk_bdev_channel_destroy_resource(ch);
-			pthread_mutex_unlock(&bdev->mutex);
-			return -1;
+	if (bdev->ios_per_sec) {
+		if (bdev->qos_channel == NULL) {
+			if (spdk_bdev_qos_channel_create(bdev) != 0) {
+				_spdk_bdev_channel_destroy_resource(ch);
+				pthread_mutex_unlock(&bdev->mutex);
+				return -1;
+			}
 		}
+		ch->flags |= BDEV_CH_QOS_ENABLED;
 	}
 
 	bdev->channel_count++;
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/bdev/mt/bdev.c/bdev_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/bdev/mt/bdev.c/bdev_ut.c
index 1dab7dc21d..2578497cd5 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/bdev/mt/bdev.c/bdev_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/bdev/mt/bdev.c/bdev_ut.c
@@ -617,6 +617,7 @@ static void
 basic_qos(void)
 {
 	struct spdk_io_channel *io_ch[2];
+	struct spdk_bdev_channel *bdev_ch[2];
 	struct spdk_bdev *bdev;
 	enum spdk_bdev_io_status status;
 	int rc;
@@ -631,9 +632,13 @@ basic_qos(void)
 
 	set_thread(0);
 	io_ch[0] = spdk_bdev_get_io_channel(g_desc);
+	bdev_ch[0] = spdk_io_channel_get_ctx(io_ch[0]);
+	CU_ASSERT(bdev_ch[0]->flags == BDEV_CH_QOS_ENABLED);
 
 	set_thread(1);
 	io_ch[1] = spdk_bdev_get_io_channel(g_desc);
+	bdev_ch[1] = spdk_io_channel_get_ctx(io_ch[1]);
+	CU_ASSERT(bdev_ch[1]->flags == BDEV_CH_QOS_ENABLED);
 
 	/*
 	 * Send an I/O on thread 0, which is where the QoS thread is running.
@@ -683,9 +688,13 @@ basic_qos(void)
 	/* Create the channels in reverse order. */
 	set_thread(1);
 	io_ch[1] = spdk_bdev_get_io_channel(g_desc);
+	bdev_ch[1] = spdk_io_channel_get_ctx(io_ch[1]);
+	CU_ASSERT(bdev_ch[1]->flags == BDEV_CH_QOS_ENABLED);
 
 	set_thread(0);
 	io_ch[0] = spdk_bdev_get_io_channel(g_desc);
+	bdev_ch[0] = spdk_io_channel_get_ctx(io_ch[0]);
+	CU_ASSERT(bdev_ch[0]->flags == BDEV_CH_QOS_ENABLED);
 
 	/* Confirm that the qos tracking was re-enabled */
 	CU_ASSERT(bdev->qos_channel != NULL);
@@ -706,6 +715,7 @@ static void
 io_during_qos_queue(void)
 {
 	struct spdk_io_channel *io_ch[2];
+	struct spdk_bdev_channel *bdev_ch[2];
 	struct spdk_bdev *bdev;
 	enum spdk_bdev_io_status status0, status1;
 	int rc;
@@ -722,9 +732,13 @@ io_during_qos_queue(void)
 	/* Create channels */
 	set_thread(0);
 	io_ch[0] = spdk_bdev_get_io_channel(g_desc);
+	bdev_ch[0] = spdk_io_channel_get_ctx(io_ch[0]);
+	CU_ASSERT(bdev_ch[0]->flags == BDEV_CH_QOS_ENABLED);
 
 	set_thread(1);
 	io_ch[1] = spdk_bdev_get_io_channel(g_desc);
+	bdev_ch[1] = spdk_io_channel_get_ctx(io_ch[1]);
+	CU_ASSERT(bdev_ch[1]->flags == BDEV_CH_QOS_ENABLED);
 
 	/* Send two I/O */
 	status1 = SPDK_BDEV_IO_STATUS_PENDING;
@@ -781,6 +795,7 @@ static void
 io_during_qos_reset(void)
 {
 	struct spdk_io_channel *io_ch[2];
+	struct spdk_bdev_channel *bdev_ch[2];
 	struct spdk_bdev *bdev;
 	enum spdk_bdev_io_status status0, status1, reset_status;
 	int rc;
@@ -797,9 +812,13 @@ io_during_qos_reset(void)
 	/* Create channels */
 	set_thread(0);
 	io_ch[0] = spdk_bdev_get_io_channel(g_desc);
+	bdev_ch[0] = spdk_io_channel_get_ctx(io_ch[0]);
+	CU_ASSERT(bdev_ch[0]->flags == BDEV_CH_QOS_ENABLED);
 
 	set_thread(1);
 	io_ch[1] = spdk_bdev_get_io_channel(g_desc);
+	bdev_ch[1] = spdk_io_channel_get_ctx(io_ch[1]);
+	CU_ASSERT(bdev_ch[1]->flags == BDEV_CH_QOS_ENABLED);
 
 	/* Send two I/O. One of these gets queued by QoS. The other is sitting at the disk. */
 	status1 = SPDK_BDEV_IO_STATUS_PENDING;