diff --git a/test/vhost/fiotest/autotest.sh b/test/vhost/fiotest/autotest.sh
index 22f7ea664..c70c56470 100755
--- a/test/vhost/fiotest/autotest.sh
+++ b/test/vhost/fiotest/autotest.sh
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ if [[ $test_type =~ "spdk_vhost" ]]; then
 	notice ""
 	notice "running SPDK"
 	notice ""
-	spdk_vhost_run --conf-path=$AUTOTEST_BASE_DIR
+	spdk_vhost_run --json-path=$AUTOTEST_BASE_DIR
 	notice ""
 fi
 
diff --git a/test/vhost/fiotest/conf.json b/test/vhost/fiotest/conf.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7a1594b24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/vhost/fiotest/conf.json
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+{
+  "subsystems": [
+    {
+      "subsystem": "copy",
+      "config": null
+    },
+    {
+      "subsystem": "interface",
+      "config": null
+    },
+    {
+      "subsystem": "net_framework",
+      "config": null
+    },
+    {
+      "subsystem": "bdev",
+      "config": [
+        {
+          "params": {
+            "base_bdev": "Nvme0n1",
+            "split_size_mb": 0,
+            "split_count": 4
+          },
+          "method": "construct_split_vbdev"
+        },
+        {
+          "params": {
+            "block_size": 4096,
+            "num_blocks": 32768
+          },
+          "method": "construct_malloc_bdev"
+        },
+        {
+          "params": {
+            "block_size": 4096,
+            "num_blocks": 32768
+          },
+          "method": "construct_malloc_bdev"
+        }
+      ]
+    },
+    {
+      "subsystem": "nbd",
+      "config": []
+    },
+    {
+      "subsystem": "scsi",
+      "config": null
+    },
+    {
+      "subsystem": "vhost",
+      "config": [
+        {
+          "params": {
+            "cpumask": "0x1",
+            "ctrlr": "vhost.0"
+          },
+          "method": "construct_vhost_scsi_controller"
+        },
+        {
+          "params": {
+            "scsi_target_num": 0,
+            "bdev_name": "Malloc0",
+            "ctrlr": "vhost.0"
+          },
+          "method": "add_vhost_scsi_lun"
+        },
+        {
+          "params": {
+            "dev_name": "Malloc1",
+            "readonly": true,
+            "ctrlr": "vhost.1",
+            "cpumask": "0x1"
+          },
+          "method": "construct_vhost_blk_controller"
+        }
+      ]
+    }
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/test/vhost/fiotest/vhost.conf.in b/test/vhost/fiotest/vhost.conf.in
deleted file mode 100644
index 151cb3bcd..000000000
--- a/test/vhost/fiotest/vhost.conf.in
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,23 +0,0 @@
-[Global]
-
-[Ioat]
-  Disable Yes
-
-[Malloc]
-  NumberOfLuns 2
-  LunSizeInMB 128
-  BlockSize 4096
-
-[Split]
-  Split Nvme0n1 4
-
-[VhostScsi0]
-  Name vhost.0
-  Dev 0 Malloc0
-  Cpumask 0x1
-
-[VhostBlk0]
-  Name vhost.1
-  Dev Malloc1
-  ReadOnly yes
-  Cpumask 0x1