diff --git a/lib/lvol/lvol.c b/lib/lvol/lvol.c
index 64c306772d..669ba5cf4d 100644
--- a/lib/lvol/lvol.c
+++ b/lib/lvol/lvol.c
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ _spdk_lvol_open_cb(void *cb_arg, struct spdk_blob *blob, int lvolerrno)
 		goto end;
 	}
 
+	lvol->ref_count++;
 	lvol->blob = blob;
 end:
 	req->cb_fn(req->cb_arg, lvol, lvolerrno);
@@ -101,6 +102,12 @@ spdk_lvol_open(struct spdk_lvol *lvol, spdk_lvol_op_with_handle_complete cb_fn,
 		return;
 	}
 
+	if (lvol->ref_count > 0) {
+		lvol->ref_count++;
+		cb_fn(cb_arg, lvol, 0);
+		return;
+	}
+
 	req = calloc(1, sizeof(*req));
 	if (req == NULL) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("Cannot alloc memory for request structure\n");
@@ -988,6 +995,15 @@ spdk_lvol_close(struct spdk_lvol *lvol, spdk_lvol_op_complete cb_fn, void *cb_ar
 		return;
 	}
 
+	if (lvol->ref_count > 1) {
+		lvol->ref_count--;
+		cb_fn(cb_arg, 0);
+		return;
+	} else if (lvol->ref_count == 0) {
+		cb_fn(cb_arg, -EINVAL);
+		return;
+	}
+
 	req = calloc(1, sizeof(*req));
 	if (!req) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("Cannot alloc memory for lvol request pointer\n");