diff --git a/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_tgt.c b/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_tgt.c
index 1ee0b37290..d03e2b7c44 100644
--- a/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_tgt.c
+++ b/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_tgt.c
@@ -220,12 +220,10 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		sleep(10);
 	}
 
-	spdk_init_dpdk(&opts);
-	printf("Total cores available: %d\n", rte_lcore_count());
-
 	opts.shutdown_cb = spdk_nvmf_shutdown_cb;
 	spdk_app_init(&opts);
 
+	printf("Total cores available: %d\n", rte_lcore_count());
 	/* Blocks until the application is exiting */
 	rc = spdk_app_start(spdk_nvmf_startup, NULL, NULL);
 
diff --git a/include/spdk/event.h b/include/spdk/event.h
index a535ef2bad..4b1f64c6d4 100644
--- a/include/spdk/event.h
+++ b/include/spdk/event.h
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ void spdk_app_opts_init(struct spdk_app_opts *opts);
 /**
  * \brief Initialize DPDK via opts.
 */
-void spdk_init_dpdk(struct spdk_app_opts *opts);
+void spdk_dpdk_framework_init(struct spdk_app_opts *opts);
 
 /**
  * \brief Initialize an application to use the event framework. This must be called prior to using
diff --git a/lib/event/app.c b/lib/event/app.c
index 8043d28831..6c3e053569 100644
--- a/lib/event/app.c
+++ b/lib/event/app.c
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ spdk_app_opts_init(struct spdk_app_opts *opts)
 	opts->dpdk_mem_size = -1;
 	opts->dpdk_master_core = SPDK_APP_DPDK_DEFAULT_MASTER_CORE;
 	opts->dpdk_mem_channel = SPDK_APP_DPDK_DEFAULT_MEM_CHANNEL;
-	opts->reactor_mask = SPDK_APP_DPDK_DEFAULT_CORE_MASK;
+	opts->reactor_mask = NULL;
 }
 
 void
@@ -303,16 +303,18 @@ spdk_app_init(struct spdk_app_opts *opts)
 	if (opts->reactor_mask == NULL) {
 		sp = spdk_conf_find_section(g_spdk_app.config, "Global");
 		if (sp != NULL) {
-			if (spdk_conf_section_get_val(sp, "WorkerMask")) {
-				fprintf(stderr, "WorkerMask not valid key name."
-					"  Use ReactorMask instead.\n");
-				spdk_conf_free(g_spdk_app.config);
-				exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+			if (spdk_conf_section_get_val(sp, "ReactorMask")) {
+				opts->reactor_mask = spdk_conf_section_get_val(sp, "ReactorMask");
+			} else {
+				opts->reactor_mask = SPDK_APP_DPDK_DEFAULT_CORE_MASK;
 			}
-			opts->reactor_mask = spdk_conf_section_get_val(sp, "ReactorMask");
+		} else {
+			opts->reactor_mask = SPDK_APP_DPDK_DEFAULT_CORE_MASK;
 		}
 	}
 
+	spdk_dpdk_framework_init(opts);
+
 	/*
 	 * If mask not specified on command line or in configuration file,
 	 *  reactor_mask will be NULL which will enable all cores to run
diff --git a/lib/event/dpdk_init.c b/lib/event/dpdk_init.c
index 8c78b04953..04117a7d4a 100644
--- a/lib/event/dpdk_init.c
+++ b/lib/event/dpdk_init.c
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ spdk_build_eal_cmdline(struct spdk_app_opts *opts)
 	memcpy(g_ealargs, g_arg_strings, sizeof(g_arg_strings));
 }
 
-void
+static void
 spdk_init_dpdk(struct spdk_app_opts *opts)
 {
 	int i, rc;
@@ -192,3 +192,9 @@ spdk_init_dpdk(struct spdk_app_opts *opts)
 
 	printf("done.\n");
 }
+
+__attribute__((weak))
+void spdk_dpdk_framework_init(struct spdk_app_opts *opts)
+{
+	spdk_init_dpdk(opts);
+}
diff --git a/test/lib/event/event/event.c b/test/lib/event/event/event.c
index 305717d50b..cbaa827899 100644
--- a/test/lib/event/event/event.c
+++ b/test/lib/event/event/event.c
@@ -152,7 +152,6 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 	optind = 1;  /*reset the optind */
 
-	spdk_init_dpdk(&opts);
 	spdk_app_init(&opts);
 
 	g_tsc_rate = rte_get_timer_hz();