diff --git a/doc/jsonrpc.md b/doc/jsonrpc.md
index e6b0ecfe90..98634b4a89 100644
--- a/doc/jsonrpc.md
+++ b/doc/jsonrpc.md
@@ -80,6 +80,42 @@ Example response:
 
 # Block Device Abstraction Layer {#jsonrpc_components_bdev}
 
+## set_bdev_options (#rpc_set_bdev_options}
+
+Set global parameters for the block device (bdev) subsystem.  This RPC may only be called
+before subsystems have been initialized.
+
+### Parameters
+
+Name                    | Optional | Type        | Description
+----------------------- | -------- | ----------- | -----------
+bdev_io_pool_size       | Optional | number      | Number of spdk_bdev_io structures in shared buffer pool
+bdev_io_cache_size      | Optional | number      | Maximum number of spdk_bdev_io structures cached per thread
+
+### Example
+
+Example request:
+~~~
+{
+  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
+  "id": 1,
+  "method": "set_bdev_options",
+  "params": {
+    "bdev_io_pool_size": 65536,
+    "bdev_io_cache_size": 256
+  }
+}
+~~~
+
+Example response:
+~~~
+{
+  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
+  "id": 1,
+  "result": true
+}
+~~~
+
 ## get_bdevs {#rpc_get_bdevs}
 
 Get information about block devices (bdevs).
diff --git a/lib/bdev/bdev.c b/lib/bdev/bdev.c
index 39fa1f5397..82d26c0713 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/bdev.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/bdev.c
@@ -486,6 +486,15 @@ spdk_bdev_subsystem_config_json(struct spdk_json_write_ctx *w)
 
 	spdk_json_write_array_begin(w);
 
+	spdk_json_write_object_begin(w);
+	spdk_json_write_named_string(w, "method", "set_bdev_options");
+	spdk_json_write_name(w, "params");
+	spdk_json_write_object_begin(w);
+	spdk_json_write_named_uint32(w, "bdev_io_pool_size", g_bdev_opts.bdev_io_pool_size);
+	spdk_json_write_named_uint32(w, "bdev_io_cache_size", g_bdev_opts.bdev_io_cache_size);
+	spdk_json_write_object_end(w);
+	spdk_json_write_object_end(w);
+
 	TAILQ_FOREACH(bdev_module, &g_bdev_mgr.bdev_modules, tailq) {
 		if (bdev_module->config_json) {
 			bdev_module->config_json(w);
diff --git a/lib/event/subsystems/bdev/Makefile b/lib/event/subsystems/bdev/Makefile
index 58c5141908..1747b75953 100644
--- a/lib/event/subsystems/bdev/Makefile
+++ b/lib/event/subsystems/bdev/Makefile
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
 SPDK_ROOT_DIR := $(abspath $(CURDIR)/../../../..)
 include $(SPDK_ROOT_DIR)/mk/spdk.common.mk
 
-C_SRCS = bdev.c
+C_SRCS = bdev.c bdev_rpc.c
 LIBNAME = event_bdev
 
 include $(SPDK_ROOT_DIR)/mk/spdk.lib.mk
diff --git a/lib/event/subsystems/bdev/bdev_rpc.c b/lib/event/subsystems/bdev/bdev_rpc.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..69ead5f25b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/event/subsystems/bdev/bdev_rpc.c
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+/*-
+ *   BSD LICENSE
+ *
+ *   Copyright (c) Intel Corporation.
+ *   All rights reserved.
+ *
+ *   Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
+ *   modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
+ *   are met:
+ *
+ *     * Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
+ *       notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
+ *     * Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
+ *       notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in
+ *       the documentation and/or other materials provided with the
+ *       distribution.
+ *     * Neither the name of Intel Corporation nor the names of its
+ *       contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived
+ *       from this software without specific prior written permission.
+ *
+ *   THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS
+ *   "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
+ *   LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR
+ *   A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT
+ *   OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
+ *   SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT
+ *   LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE,
+ *   DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY
+ *   THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT
+ *   (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE
+ *   OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
+ */
+
+#include "spdk/bdev.h"
+
+#include "spdk/rpc.h"
+#include "spdk/util.h"
+#include "spdk/string.h"
+
+#include "spdk_internal/log.h"
+
+struct spdk_rpc_set_bdev_opts {
+	uint32_t bdev_io_pool_size;
+	uint32_t bdev_io_cache_size;
+};
+
+static const struct spdk_json_object_decoder rpc_set_bdev_opts_decoders[] = {
+	{"bdev_io_pool_size", offsetof(struct spdk_rpc_set_bdev_opts, bdev_io_pool_size), spdk_json_decode_uint32, true},
+	{"bdev_io_cache_size", offsetof(struct spdk_rpc_set_bdev_opts, bdev_io_cache_size), spdk_json_decode_uint32, true},
+};
+
+static void
+spdk_rpc_set_bdev_opts(struct spdk_jsonrpc_request *request, const struct spdk_json_val *params)
+{
+	struct spdk_rpc_set_bdev_opts rpc_opts;
+	struct spdk_bdev_opts bdev_opts;
+	struct spdk_json_write_ctx *w;
+	int rc;
+
+	rpc_opts.bdev_io_pool_size = UINT32_MAX;
+	rpc_opts.bdev_io_cache_size = UINT32_MAX;
+
+	if (params != NULL) {
+		if (spdk_json_decode_object(params, rpc_set_bdev_opts_decoders,
+					    SPDK_COUNTOF(rpc_set_bdev_opts_decoders), &rpc_opts)) {
+			SPDK_ERRLOG("spdk_json_decode_object() failed\n");
+			spdk_jsonrpc_send_error_response(request, SPDK_JSONRPC_ERROR_INVALID_PARAMS,
+							 "Invalid parameters");
+			return;
+		}
+	}
+
+	spdk_bdev_get_opts(&bdev_opts);
+	if (rpc_opts.bdev_io_pool_size != UINT32_MAX) {
+		bdev_opts.bdev_io_pool_size = rpc_opts.bdev_io_pool_size;
+	}
+	if (rpc_opts.bdev_io_cache_size != UINT32_MAX) {
+		bdev_opts.bdev_io_cache_size = rpc_opts.bdev_io_cache_size;
+	}
+	rc = spdk_bdev_set_opts(&bdev_opts);
+
+	if (rc != 0) {
+		spdk_jsonrpc_send_error_response_fmt(request, SPDK_JSONRPC_ERROR_INVALID_PARAMS,
+						     "Pool size %" PRIu32 " too small for cache size %" PRIu32,
+						     bdev_opts.bdev_io_pool_size, bdev_opts.bdev_io_cache_size);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	w = spdk_jsonrpc_begin_result(request);
+	if (w == NULL) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	spdk_json_write_bool(w, true);
+	spdk_jsonrpc_end_result(request, w);
+}
+SPDK_RPC_REGISTER("set_bdev_options", spdk_rpc_set_bdev_opts, SPDK_RPC_STARTUP)
diff --git a/scripts/rpc.py b/scripts/rpc.py
index 50f4fb42f6..d512022c17 100755
--- a/scripts/rpc.py
+++ b/scripts/rpc.py
@@ -110,6 +110,17 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     p.set_defaults(func=context_switch_monitor)
 
     # bdev
+    @call_cmd
+    def set_bdev_options(args):
+        rpc.bdev.set_bdev_options(args.client,
+                                  bdev_io_pool_size=args.bdev_io_pool_size,
+                                  bdev_io_cache_size=args.bdev_io_cache_size)
+
+    p = subparsers.add_parser('set_bdev_options', help="""Set options of bdev subsystem""")
+    p.add_argument('-p', '--bdev-io-pool-size', help='Number of bdev_io structures in shared buffer pool', type=int)
+    p.add_argument('-c', '--bdev-io-cache-size', help='Maximum number of bdev_io structures cached per thread', type=int)
+    p.set_defaults(func=set_bdev_options)
+
     @call_cmd
     def construct_malloc_bdev(args):
         num_blocks = (args.total_size * 1024 * 1024) // args.block_size
diff --git a/scripts/rpc/bdev.py b/scripts/rpc/bdev.py
index f4b9fb16d5..087f4887c7 100755
--- a/scripts/rpc/bdev.py
+++ b/scripts/rpc/bdev.py
@@ -1,3 +1,20 @@
+def set_bdev_options(client, bdev_io_pool_size=None, bdev_io_cache_size=None):
+    """Set parameters for the bdev subsystem.
+
+    Args:
+        bdev_io_pool_size: number of bdev_io structures in shared buffer pool (optional)
+        bdev_io_cache_size: maximum number of bdev_io structures cached per thread (optional)
+    """
+    params = {}
+
+    if bdev_io_pool_size:
+        params['bdev_io_pool_size'] = bdev_io_pool_size
+    if bdev_io_cache_size:
+        params['bdev_io_cache_size'] = bdev_io_cache_size
+
+    return client.call('set_bdev_options', params)
+
+
 def construct_malloc_bdev(client, num_blocks, block_size, name=None, uuid=None):
     """Construct a malloc block device.