diff --git a/include/spdk/scsi.h b/include/spdk/scsi.h
index c70059a9ab..5bf155e044 100644
--- a/include/spdk/scsi.h
+++ b/include/spdk/scsi.h
@@ -124,7 +124,6 @@ struct spdk_scsi_task {
 	uint32_t alloc_len;
 
 	uint64_t offset;
-	struct iovec iov;
 	struct spdk_scsi_task *parent;
 
 	void (*free_fn)(struct spdk_scsi_task *);
@@ -132,6 +131,10 @@ struct spdk_scsi_task {
 	uint8_t *cdb;
 	uint8_t *iobuf;
 
+	struct iovec iov;
+	struct iovec *iovs;
+	uint16_t iovcnt;
+
 	uint8_t sense_data[32];
 	size_t sense_data_len;
 
diff --git a/lib/scsi/task.c b/lib/scsi/task.c
index c0e39cabba..5ec2e3c9e5 100644
--- a/lib/scsi/task.c
+++ b/lib/scsi/task.c
@@ -88,6 +88,12 @@ spdk_scsi_task_construct(struct spdk_scsi_task *task, uint32_t *owner_task_ctr,
 	task->owner_task_ctr = owner_task_ctr;
 	*owner_task_ctr += 1;
 
+	/*
+	 * Pre-fill the iov_buffers to point to the embedded iov
+	 */
+	task->iovs = &task->iov;
+	task->iovcnt = 1;
+
 	if (parent != NULL) {
 		parent->ref++;
 		task->parent = parent;