diff --git a/lib/iscsi/iscsi.h b/lib/iscsi/iscsi.h
index 044f6043db..674382f875 100644
--- a/lib/iscsi/iscsi.h
+++ b/lib/iscsi/iscsi.h
@@ -342,6 +342,7 @@ struct spdk_iscsi_globals {
 	char *authfile;
 	char *nodebase;
 	pthread_mutex_t mutex;
+	uint32_t refcnt;
 	TAILQ_HEAD(, spdk_iscsi_portal)		portal_head;
 	TAILQ_HEAD(, spdk_iscsi_portal_grp)	pg_head;
 	TAILQ_HEAD(, spdk_iscsi_init_grp)	ig_head;
diff --git a/lib/iscsi/iscsi_subsystem.c b/lib/iscsi/iscsi_subsystem.c
index dcfaf0c39a..7f25f0ce34 100644
--- a/lib/iscsi/iscsi_subsystem.c
+++ b/lib/iscsi/iscsi_subsystem.c
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
 
 struct spdk_iscsi_opts *g_spdk_iscsi_opts = NULL;
 
+static struct spdk_thread *g_init_thread = NULL;
 static spdk_iscsi_init_cb g_init_cb_fn = NULL;
 static void *g_init_cb_arg = NULL;
 
@@ -1143,7 +1144,7 @@ iscsi_init_complete(int rc)
 }
 
 static void
-iscsi_parse_configuration(void *ctx)
+iscsi_parse_configuration(void)
 {
 	int rc;
 
@@ -1238,6 +1239,8 @@ static void
 iscsi_poll_group_destroy(void *io_device, void *ctx_buf)
 {
 	struct spdk_iscsi_poll_group *pg = ctx_buf;
+	struct spdk_io_channel *ch;
+	struct spdk_thread *thread;
 
 	assert(pg->poller != NULL);
 	assert(pg->sock_group != NULL);
@@ -1245,6 +1248,24 @@ iscsi_poll_group_destroy(void *io_device, void *ctx_buf)
 	spdk_sock_group_close(&pg->sock_group);
 	spdk_poller_unregister(&pg->poller);
 	spdk_poller_unregister(&pg->nop_poller);
+
+	ch = spdk_io_channel_from_ctx(pg);
+	thread = spdk_io_channel_get_thread(ch);
+
+	assert(thread == spdk_get_thread());
+
+	spdk_thread_exit(thread);
+}
+
+static void
+_iscsi_init_thread_done(void *ctx)
+{
+	struct spdk_iscsi_poll_group *pg = ctx;
+
+	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&g_spdk_iscsi.poll_group_head, pg, link);
+	if (--g_spdk_iscsi.refcnt == 0) {
+		iscsi_parse_configuration();
+	}
 }
 
 static void
@@ -1256,19 +1277,38 @@ _iscsi_init_thread(void *ctx)
 	ch = spdk_get_io_channel(&g_spdk_iscsi);
 	pg = spdk_io_channel_get_ctx(ch);
 
-	pthread_mutex_lock(&g_spdk_iscsi.mutex);
-	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&g_spdk_iscsi.poll_group_head, pg, link);
-	pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_spdk_iscsi.mutex);
+	spdk_thread_send_msg(g_init_thread, _iscsi_init_thread_done, pg);
 }
 
 static void
 initialize_iscsi_poll_group(void)
 {
+	struct spdk_cpuset tmp_cpumask = {};
+	uint32_t i;
+	char thread_name[32];
+	struct spdk_thread *thread;
+
 	spdk_io_device_register(&g_spdk_iscsi, iscsi_poll_group_create, iscsi_poll_group_destroy,
 				sizeof(struct spdk_iscsi_poll_group), "iscsi_tgt");
 
-	/* Send a message to each thread and create a poll group */
-	spdk_for_each_thread(_iscsi_init_thread, NULL, iscsi_parse_configuration);
+	/* Create threads for CPU cores active for this application, and send a
+	 * message to each thread to create a poll group on it.
+	 */
+	g_init_thread = spdk_get_thread();
+	assert(g_init_thread != NULL);
+	assert(g_spdk_iscsi.refcnt == 0);
+
+	SPDK_ENV_FOREACH_CORE(i) {
+		spdk_cpuset_zero(&tmp_cpumask);
+		spdk_cpuset_set_cpu(&tmp_cpumask, i, true);
+		snprintf(thread_name, sizeof(thread_name), "iscsi_poll_group_%u", i);
+
+		thread = spdk_thread_create(thread_name, &tmp_cpumask);
+		assert(thread != NULL);
+
+		g_spdk_iscsi.refcnt++;
+		spdk_thread_send_msg(thread, _iscsi_init_thread, NULL);
+	}
 }
 
 static int