diff --git a/include/spdk_internal/bdev.h b/include/spdk_internal/bdev.h
index 22221047e7..ca2890333f 100644
--- a/include/spdk_internal/bdev.h
+++ b/include/spdk_internal/bdev.h
@@ -115,6 +115,13 @@ struct spdk_bdev_module_if {
 	 */
 	int (*get_ctx_size)(void);
 
+	/**
+	 * Notification that a bdev has been registered.
+	 * Virtual bdev modules may use this to inspect the newly-added bdev and automatically
+	 * create their own vbdevs.
+	 */
+	void (*bdev_registered)(struct spdk_bdev *bdev);
+
 	TAILQ_ENTRY(spdk_bdev_module_if) tailq;
 };
 
@@ -394,12 +401,13 @@ spdk_bdev_io_from_ctx(void *ctx)
 	    spdk_bdev_module_list_add(&init_fn ## _if);                  			\
 	}
 
-#define SPDK_VBDEV_MODULE_REGISTER(init_fn, fini_fn, config_fn, ctx_size_fn)			\
+#define SPDK_VBDEV_MODULE_REGISTER(init_fn, fini_fn, config_fn, ctx_size_fn, bdev_registered_fn)\
 	static struct spdk_bdev_module_if init_fn ## _if = {					\
 	.module_init 	= init_fn,								\
 	.module_fini	= fini_fn,								\
 	.config_text	= config_fn,								\
 	.get_ctx_size	= ctx_size_fn,                                				\
+	.bdev_registered	= bdev_registered_fn,						\
 	};  											\
 	__attribute__((constructor)) static void init_fn ## _init(void)  			\
 	{                                                           				\
diff --git a/lib/bdev/bdev.c b/lib/bdev/bdev.c
index 4c720be692..9b165df1a5 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/bdev.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/bdev.c
@@ -1078,6 +1078,8 @@ spdk_bdev_io_get_nvme_status(const struct spdk_bdev_io *bdev_io, int *sct, int *
 void
 spdk_bdev_register(struct spdk_bdev *bdev)
 {
+	struct spdk_bdev_module_if *vbdev_module;
+
 	/* initialize the reset generation value to zero */
 	bdev->gencnt = 0;
 
@@ -1088,6 +1090,12 @@ spdk_bdev_register(struct spdk_bdev *bdev)
 	bdev->status = SPDK_BDEV_STATUS_UNCLAIMED;
 	SPDK_TRACELOG(SPDK_TRACE_DEBUG, "Inserting bdev %s into list\n", bdev->name);
 	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&g_bdev_mgr.bdevs, bdev, link);
+
+	TAILQ_FOREACH(vbdev_module, &g_bdev_mgr.vbdev_modules, tailq) {
+		if (vbdev_module->bdev_registered) {
+			vbdev_module->bdev_registered(bdev);
+		}
+	}
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/lib/bdev/error/vbdev_error.c b/lib/bdev/error/vbdev_error.c
index ca22a607eb..c6cfc6a09e 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/error/vbdev_error.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/error/vbdev_error.c
@@ -268,4 +268,4 @@ vbdev_error_fini(void)
 	}
 }
 
-SPDK_VBDEV_MODULE_REGISTER(vbdev_error_init, vbdev_error_fini, NULL, NULL)
+SPDK_VBDEV_MODULE_REGISTER(vbdev_error_init, vbdev_error_fini, NULL, NULL, NULL)
diff --git a/lib/bdev/split/vbdev_split.c b/lib/bdev/split/vbdev_split.c
index 36a7972018..2982bd6000 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/split/vbdev_split.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/split/vbdev_split.c
@@ -404,5 +404,5 @@ vbdev_split_fini(void)
 	}
 }
 
-SPDK_VBDEV_MODULE_REGISTER(vbdev_split_init, vbdev_split_fini, NULL, NULL)
+SPDK_VBDEV_MODULE_REGISTER(vbdev_split_init, vbdev_split_fini, NULL, NULL, NULL)
 SPDK_LOG_REGISTER_TRACE_FLAG("vbdev_split", SPDK_TRACE_VBDEV_SPLIT)