diff --git a/include/spdk/bdev.h b/include/spdk/bdev.h
index a4f58dbaf..b7198ea32 100644
--- a/include/spdk/bdev.h
+++ b/include/spdk/bdev.h
@@ -134,7 +134,11 @@ struct spdk_bdev_fn_table {
 	/** Destroy the backend block device object */
 	int (*destruct)(struct spdk_bdev *bdev);
 
-	/** Poll the backend for I/O waiting to be completed. */
+	/**
+	 * Poll the backend for I/O waiting to be completed.
+	 *
+	 * Optional; if the bdev does not have any periodic work to do, this pointer can be NULL.
+	 */
 	int (*check_io)(struct spdk_bdev *bdev);
 
 	/** Process the IO. */
diff --git a/lib/bdev/bdev.c b/lib/bdev/bdev.c
index e03565ac5..14490855d 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/bdev.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/bdev.c
@@ -462,7 +462,9 @@ spdk_bdev_io_submit(struct spdk_bdev_io *bdev_io)
 			lcore = rte_lcore_id();
 		}
 		bdev->lcore = lcore;
-		spdk_poller_register(&bdev->poller, spdk_bdev_do_work, bdev, lcore, NULL, 0);
+		if (bdev->fn_table->check_io) {
+			spdk_poller_register(&bdev->poller, spdk_bdev_do_work, bdev, lcore, NULL, 0);
+		}
 	}
 
 	if (bdev_io->status == SPDK_BDEV_IO_STATUS_PENDING) {
@@ -815,6 +817,7 @@ spdk_bdev_register(struct spdk_bdev *bdev)
 	/* initialize the reset generation value to zero */
 	bdev->gencnt = 0;
 	bdev->is_running = false;
+	bdev->poller = NULL;
 
 	SPDK_TRACELOG(SPDK_TRACE_DEBUG, "Inserting bdev %s into list\n", bdev->name);
 	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&spdk_bdev_list, bdev, link);
@@ -834,7 +837,9 @@ spdk_bdev_unregister(struct spdk_bdev *bdev)
 	}
 
 	if (bdev->is_running) {
-		spdk_poller_unregister(&bdev->poller, NULL);
+		if (bdev->poller) {
+			spdk_poller_unregister(&bdev->poller, NULL);
+		}
 		bdev->is_running = false;
 	}
 }