diff --git a/lib/bdev/virtio/rte_virtio/virtio.c b/lib/bdev/virtio/rte_virtio/virtio.c
index 3a55fcea2b..d749c8f375 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/virtio/rte_virtio/virtio.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/virtio/rte_virtio/virtio.c
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ virtio_init_queue(struct virtio_dev *dev, uint16_t vtpci_queue_idx)
 
 	vq->mz = mz;
 
-	vq->owner_lcore = SPDK_VIRTIO_QUEUE_LCORE_ID_UNUSED;
+	vq->owner_thread = NULL;
 	vq->poller = NULL;
 
 	if (virtio_dev_backend_ops(dev)->setup_queue(dev, vq) < 0) {
@@ -570,13 +570,13 @@ virtio_dev_acquire_queue(struct virtio_dev *vdev, uint16_t index)
 
 	pthread_mutex_lock(&vdev->mutex);
 	vq = vdev->vqs[index];
-	if (vq == NULL || vq->owner_lcore != SPDK_VIRTIO_QUEUE_LCORE_ID_UNUSED) {
+	if (vq == NULL || vq->owner_thread != NULL) {
 		pthread_mutex_unlock(&vdev->mutex);
 		return -1;
 	}
 
 	assert(vq->poller == NULL);
-	vq->owner_lcore = spdk_env_get_current_core();
+	vq->owner_thread = spdk_get_thread();
 	pthread_mutex_unlock(&vdev->mutex);
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -590,7 +590,7 @@ virtio_dev_find_and_acquire_queue(struct virtio_dev *vdev, uint16_t start_index)
 	pthread_mutex_lock(&vdev->mutex);
 	for (i = start_index; i < vdev->max_queues; ++i) {
 		vq = vdev->vqs[i];
-		if (vq != NULL && vq->owner_lcore == SPDK_VIRTIO_QUEUE_LCORE_ID_UNUSED) {
+		if (vq != NULL && vq->owner_thread == NULL) {
 			break;
 		}
 	}
@@ -602,7 +602,7 @@ virtio_dev_find_and_acquire_queue(struct virtio_dev *vdev, uint16_t start_index)
 	}
 
 	assert(vq->poller == NULL);
-	vq->owner_lcore = spdk_env_get_current_core();
+	vq->owner_thread = spdk_get_thread();
 	pthread_mutex_unlock(&vdev->mutex);
 	return i;
 }
@@ -627,7 +627,7 @@ virtio_dev_queue_is_acquired(struct virtio_dev *vdev, uint16_t index)
 		return false;
 	}
 
-	rc = (vq->owner_lcore != SPDK_VIRTIO_QUEUE_LCORE_ID_UNUSED);
+	rc = (vq->owner_thread != NULL);
 	pthread_mutex_unlock(&vdev->mutex);
 
 	return rc;
@@ -653,8 +653,8 @@ virtio_dev_release_queue(struct virtio_dev *vdev, uint16_t index)
 	}
 
 	assert(vq->poller == NULL);
-	assert(vq->owner_lcore == spdk_env_get_current_core());
-	vq->owner_lcore = SPDK_VIRTIO_QUEUE_LCORE_ID_UNUSED;
+	assert(vq->owner_thread == spdk_get_thread());
+	vq->owner_thread = NULL;
 	pthread_mutex_unlock(&vdev->mutex);
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/bdev/virtio/rte_virtio/virtio.h b/lib/bdev/virtio/rte_virtio/virtio.h
index 3d8b06018d..c416db0b50 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/virtio/rte_virtio/virtio.h
+++ b/lib/bdev/virtio/rte_virtio/virtio.h
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@
 #include "spdk/likely.h"
 #include "spdk/queue.h"
 #include "spdk/json.h"
+#include "spdk/io_channel.h"
 
 /*
  * Per virtio_config.h in Linux.
@@ -70,11 +71,6 @@
  */
 #define VQ_RING_DESC_CHAIN_END 32768
 
-/* This is a work-around for fio-plugin bug, where each
- * fio job thread returns local lcore id = -1
- */
-#define SPDK_VIRTIO_QUEUE_LCORE_ID_UNUSED (UINT32_MAX - 1)
-
 /* Number of non-request queues - eventq and controlq */
 #define SPDK_VIRTIO_SCSI_QUEUE_NUM_FIXED 2
 
@@ -188,8 +184,8 @@ struct virtqueue {
 	uint16_t  vq_queue_index;   /**< PCI queue index */
 	uint16_t  *notify_addr;
 
-	/** Logical CPU ID that's polling this queue. */
-	uint32_t owner_lcore;
+	/** Thread that's polling this queue. */
+	struct spdk_thread *owner_thread;
 
 	/** Response poller. */
 	struct spdk_bdev_poller	*poller;
@@ -312,7 +308,7 @@ virtqueue_kick_prepare(struct virtqueue *vq)
 }
 
 /**
- * Bind a virtqueue with given index to the current CPU core.
+ * Bind a virtqueue with given index to the current thread;
  *
  * This function is thread-safe.
  *
@@ -324,7 +320,7 @@ virtqueue_kick_prepare(struct virtqueue *vq)
 int virtio_dev_acquire_queue(struct virtio_dev *vdev, uint16_t index);
 
 /**
- * Look for unused queue and bind it to the current CPU core.  This will
+ * Look for unused queue and bind it to the current thread.  This will
  * scan the queues in range from *start_index* (inclusive) up to
  * vdev->max_queues (exclusive).
  *