diff --git a/lib/bdev/bdev.c b/lib/bdev/bdev.c
index b933764b5..9411b0503 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/bdev.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/bdev.c
@@ -1229,7 +1229,7 @@ _spdk_bdev_io_split_done(struct spdk_bdev_io *bdev_io, bool success, void *cb_ar
 }
 
 static void
-_spdk_bdev_io_split(struct spdk_bdev_io *bdev_io)
+_spdk_bdev_io_split(struct spdk_io_channel *ch, struct spdk_bdev_io *bdev_io)
 {
 	assert(_spdk_bdev_io_type_can_split(bdev_io->type));
 
@@ -1287,7 +1287,12 @@ spdk_bdev_io_submit(struct spdk_bdev_io *bdev_io)
 	assert(bdev_io->internal.status == SPDK_BDEV_IO_STATUS_PENDING);
 
 	if (bdev->split_on_optimal_io_boundary && _spdk_bdev_io_should_split(bdev_io)) {
-		_spdk_bdev_io_split(bdev_io);
+		if (bdev_io->type == SPDK_BDEV_IO_TYPE_READ) {
+			spdk_bdev_io_get_buf(bdev_io, _spdk_bdev_io_split,
+					     bdev_io->u.bdev.num_blocks * bdev_io->bdev->blocklen);
+		} else {
+			_spdk_bdev_io_split(NULL, bdev_io);
+		}
 		return;
 	}