diff --git a/module/bdev/null/bdev_null.c b/module/bdev/null/bdev_null.c
index 10b8d4ba4..1f25753f0 100644
--- a/module/bdev/null/bdev_null.c
+++ b/module/bdev/null/bdev_null.c
@@ -420,21 +420,38 @@ bdev_null_initialize(void)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int
-bdev_null_resize(struct spdk_bdev *bdev, const uint64_t new_size_in_mb)
+static void
+dummy_bdev_event_cb(enum spdk_bdev_event_type type, struct spdk_bdev *bdev, void *ctx)
 {
+}
+
+int
+bdev_null_resize(const char *bdev_name, const uint64_t new_size_in_mb)
+{
+	struct spdk_bdev_desc *desc;
+	struct spdk_bdev *bdev;
 	uint64_t current_size_in_mb;
 	uint64_t new_size_in_byte;
-	int rc;
+	int rc = 0;
+
+	rc = spdk_bdev_open_ext(bdev_name, false, dummy_bdev_event_cb, NULL, &desc);
+	if (rc != 0) {
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("failed to open bdev; %s.\n", bdev_name);
+		return rc;
+	}
+
+	bdev = spdk_bdev_desc_get_bdev(desc);
 
 	if (bdev->module != &null_if) {
-		return -EINVAL;
+		rc = -EINVAL;
+		goto exit;
 	}
 
 	current_size_in_mb = bdev->blocklen * bdev->blockcnt / (1024 * 1024);
 	if (new_size_in_mb < current_size_in_mb) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("The new bdev size must not be smaller than current bdev size.\n");
-		return -EINVAL;
+		rc = -EINVAL;
+		goto exit;
 	}
 
 	new_size_in_byte = new_size_in_mb * 1024 * 1024;
@@ -442,10 +459,11 @@ bdev_null_resize(struct spdk_bdev *bdev, const uint64_t new_size_in_mb)
 	rc = spdk_bdev_notify_blockcnt_change(bdev, new_size_in_byte / bdev->blocklen);
 	if (rc != 0) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("failed to notify block cnt change.\n");
-		return rc;
 	}
 
-	return 0;
+exit:
+	spdk_bdev_close(desc);
+	return rc;
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/module/bdev/null/bdev_null.h b/module/bdev/null/bdev_null.h
index ea8332cb7..ad8046587 100644
--- a/module/bdev/null/bdev_null.h
+++ b/module/bdev/null/bdev_null.h
@@ -66,9 +66,9 @@ void bdev_null_delete(const char *bdev_name, spdk_delete_null_complete cb_fn,
 /**
  * Resize null bdev.
  *
- * \param bdev Pointer to null bdev.
+ * \param bdev_name Name of null bdev.
  * \param new_size_in_mb The new size in MiB for this bdev
  */
-int bdev_null_resize(struct spdk_bdev *bdev, const uint64_t new_size_in_mb);
+int bdev_null_resize(const char *bdev_name, const uint64_t new_size_in_mb);
 
 #endif /* SPDK_BDEV_NULL_H */
diff --git a/module/bdev/null/bdev_null_rpc.c b/module/bdev/null/bdev_null_rpc.c
index 92262d7e2..a4fab9d5f 100644
--- a/module/bdev/null/bdev_null_rpc.c
+++ b/module/bdev/null/bdev_null_rpc.c
@@ -225,7 +225,6 @@ spdk_rpc_bdev_null_resize(struct spdk_jsonrpc_request *request,
 			  const struct spdk_json_val *params)
 {
 	struct rpc_bdev_null_resize req = {};
-	struct spdk_bdev *bdev;
 	int rc;
 
 	if (spdk_json_decode_object(params, rpc_bdev_null_resize_decoders,
@@ -236,13 +235,7 @@ spdk_rpc_bdev_null_resize(struct spdk_jsonrpc_request *request,
 		goto cleanup;
 	}
 
-	bdev = spdk_bdev_get_by_name(req.name);
-	if (bdev == NULL) {
-		spdk_jsonrpc_send_error_response(request, -ENODEV, spdk_strerror(ENODEV));
-		goto cleanup;
-	}
-
-	rc = bdev_null_resize(bdev, req.new_size);
+	rc = bdev_null_resize(req.name, req.new_size);
 	if (rc) {
 		spdk_jsonrpc_send_error_response(request, rc, spdk_strerror(-rc));
 		goto cleanup;