diff --git a/test/unit/lib/thread/thread.c/thread_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/thread/thread.c/thread_ut.c
index 4febbb978..b98e6d14b 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/thread/thread.c/thread_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/thread/thread.c/thread_ut.c
@@ -407,12 +407,12 @@ destroy_cb_2(void *io_device, void *ctx_buf)
 static void
 channel(void)
 {
-	struct spdk_thread *thread;
 	struct spdk_io_channel *ch1, *ch2;
 	void *ctx;
 
-	thread = spdk_allocate_thread(NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, "thread0");
-	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(thread != NULL);
+	allocate_threads(1);
+	set_thread(0);
+
 	spdk_io_device_register(&device1, create_cb_1, destroy_cb_1, sizeof(ctx1), NULL);
 	spdk_io_device_register(&device2, create_cb_2, destroy_cb_2, sizeof(ctx2), NULL);
 
@@ -429,7 +429,7 @@ channel(void)
 
 	g_destroy_cb_calls = 0;
 	spdk_put_io_channel(ch2);
-	while (spdk_thread_poll(thread, 0) > 0) {}
+	poll_threads();
 	CU_ASSERT(g_destroy_cb_calls == 0);
 
 	g_create_cb_calls = 0;
@@ -443,23 +443,23 @@ channel(void)
 
 	g_destroy_cb_calls = 0;
 	spdk_put_io_channel(ch1);
-	while (spdk_thread_poll(thread, 0) > 0) {}
+	poll_threads();
 	CU_ASSERT(g_destroy_cb_calls == 1);
 
 	g_destroy_cb_calls = 0;
 	spdk_put_io_channel(ch2);
-	while (spdk_thread_poll(thread, 0) > 0) {}
+	poll_threads();
 	CU_ASSERT(g_destroy_cb_calls == 1);
 
 	ch1 = spdk_get_io_channel(&device3);
 	CU_ASSERT(ch1 == NULL);
 
 	spdk_io_device_unregister(&device1, NULL);
-	while (spdk_thread_poll(thread, 0) > 0) {}
+	poll_threads();
 	spdk_io_device_unregister(&device2, NULL);
-	while (spdk_thread_poll(thread, 0) > 0) {}
+	poll_threads();
 	CU_ASSERT(TAILQ_EMPTY(&g_io_devices));
-	spdk_free_thread();
+	free_threads();
 	CU_ASSERT(TAILQ_EMPTY(&g_threads));
 }
 
@@ -491,12 +491,12 @@ destroy_cb(void *io_device, void *ctx_buf)
 static void
 channel_destroy_races(void)
 {
-	struct spdk_thread *thread;
 	uint64_t device;
 	struct spdk_io_channel *ch;
 
-	thread = spdk_allocate_thread(NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, "thread0");
-	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(thread != NULL);
+	allocate_threads(1);
+	set_thread(0);
+
 	spdk_io_device_register(&device, create_cb, destroy_cb, sizeof(uint64_t), NULL);
 
 	ch = spdk_get_io_channel(&device);
@@ -508,13 +508,13 @@ channel_destroy_races(void)
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(ch != NULL);
 
 	spdk_put_io_channel(ch);
-	while (spdk_thread_poll(thread, 0) > 0) {}
+	poll_threads();
 
 	spdk_io_device_unregister(&device, NULL);
-	while (spdk_thread_poll(thread, 0) > 0) {}
+	poll_threads();
 
 	CU_ASSERT(TAILQ_EMPTY(&g_io_devices));
-	spdk_free_thread();
+	free_threads();
 	CU_ASSERT(TAILQ_EMPTY(&g_threads));
 }