diff --git a/lib/vhost/Makefile b/lib/vhost/Makefile
index 83efcc01b..3d33cdb92 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/Makefile
+++ b/lib/vhost/Makefile
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ include $(SPDK_ROOT_DIR)/mk/spdk.common.mk
 CFLAGS += -I.
 CFLAGS += $(ENV_CFLAGS)
 
-C_SRCS = vhost.c vhost_rpc.c vhost_scsi.c vhost_blk.c
+C_SRCS = vhost.c vhost_rpc.c vhost_scsi.c vhost_blk.c rte_vhost_compat.c
 
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_VHOST_INTERNAL_LIB),y)
 C_SRCS += vhost_nvme.c
diff --git a/lib/vhost/rte_vhost_compat.c b/lib/vhost/rte_vhost_compat.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7e0adf75c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/vhost/rte_vhost_compat.c
@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
+/*-
+ *   BSD LICENSE
+ *
+ *   Copyright (c) Intel Corporation.
+ *   All rights reserved.
+ *
+ *   Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
+ *   modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
+ *   are met:
+ *
+ *     * Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
+ *       notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
+ *     * Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
+ *       notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in
+ *       the documentation and/or other materials provided with the
+ *       distribution.
+ *     * Neither the name of Intel Corporation nor the names of its
+ *       contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived
+ *       from this software without specific prior written permission.
+ *
+ *   THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS
+ *   "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
+ *   LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR
+ *   A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT
+ *   OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
+ *   SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT
+ *   LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE,
+ *   DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY
+ *   THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT
+ *   (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE
+ *   OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
+ */
+
+/** \file
+ * Set of workarounds for rte_vhost to make it work with device types
+ * other than vhost-net.
+ */
+
+#include "spdk/stdinc.h"
+
+#include "spdk/env.h"
+#include "spdk/likely.h"
+#include "spdk/string.h"
+#include "spdk/util.h"
+#include "spdk/barrier.h"
+#include "spdk/vhost.h"
+#include "vhost_internal.h"
+
+#include "spdk_internal/vhost_user.h"
+
+#ifndef SPDK_CONFIG_VHOST_INTERNAL_LIB
+extern const struct vhost_device_ops g_spdk_vhost_ops;
+
+static enum rte_vhost_msg_result
+spdk_extern_vhost_pre_msg_handler(int vid, void *_msg)
+{
+	struct vhost_user_msg *msg = _msg;
+	struct spdk_vhost_session *vsession;
+
+	vsession = spdk_vhost_session_find_by_vid(vid);
+	if (vsession == NULL) {
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("Received a message to unitialized session (vid %d).\n", vid);
+		assert(false);
+		return RTE_VHOST_MSG_RESULT_ERR;
+	}
+
+	switch (msg->request) {
+	case VHOST_USER_SET_MEM_TABLE:
+		/* rte_vhost will unmap previous memory that SPDK may still
+		 * have pending DMA operations on. We can't let that happen,
+		 * so stop the device before letting rte_vhost unmap anything.
+		 * This will block until all pending I/Os are finished.
+		 * We will start the device again from the post-processing
+		 * message handler.
+		 */
+		if (vsession->lcore != -1) {
+			g_spdk_vhost_ops.destroy_device(vid);
+			vsession->needs_restart = true;
+		}
+		break;
+	default:
+		break;
+	}
+
+	return RTE_VHOST_MSG_RESULT_NOT_HANDLED;
+}
+
+static enum rte_vhost_msg_result
+spdk_extern_vhost_post_msg_handler(int vid, void *_msg)
+{
+	struct spdk_vhost_session *vsession;
+
+	vsession = spdk_vhost_session_find_by_vid(vid);
+	if (vsession == NULL) {
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("Received a message to unitialized session (vid %d).\n", vid);
+		assert(false);
+		return RTE_VHOST_MSG_RESULT_ERR;
+	}
+
+	if (vsession->needs_restart) {
+		g_spdk_vhost_ops.new_device(vid);
+		vsession->needs_restart = false;
+	}
+
+	return RTE_VHOST_MSG_RESULT_NOT_HANDLED;
+}
+
+struct rte_vhost_user_extern_ops g_spdk_extern_vhost_ops = {
+	.pre_msg_handle = spdk_extern_vhost_pre_msg_handler,
+	.post_msg_handle = spdk_extern_vhost_post_msg_handler,
+};
+
+void
+spdk_vhost_session_install_rte_compat_hooks(struct spdk_vhost_session *vsession)
+{
+	int rc;
+
+	rc = rte_vhost_extern_callback_register(vsession->vid, &g_spdk_extern_vhost_ops, NULL);
+	if (rc != 0) {
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("rte_vhost_extern_callback_register() failed for vid = %d\n",
+			    vsession->vid);
+		return;
+	}
+}
+
+#else /* SPDK_CONFIG_VHOST_INTERNAL_LIB */
+void
+spdk_vhost_session_install_rte_compat_hooks(struct spdk_vhost_session *vsession)
+{
+	/* nothing to do. all the changes are already incorporated into rte_vhost */
+}
+#endif
diff --git a/lib/vhost/vhost.c b/lib/vhost/vhost.c
index 0f7b0a71c..20dab1feb 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/vhost.c
+++ b/lib/vhost/vhost.c
@@ -527,7 +527,7 @@ spdk_vhost_session_find_by_id(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev, unsigned id)
 	return NULL;
 }
 
-static struct spdk_vhost_session *
+struct spdk_vhost_session *
 spdk_vhost_session_find_by_vid(int vid)
 {
 	struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev;
@@ -1018,7 +1018,7 @@ stop_device(int vid)
 
 	vdev = vsession->vdev;
 	if (vsession->lcore == -1) {
-		SPDK_ERRLOG("Controller %s is not loaded.\n", vdev->name);
+		/* already stopped, nothing to do */
 		pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_spdk_vhost_mutex);
 		return;
 	}
@@ -1064,7 +1064,8 @@ start_device(int vid)
 
 	vdev = vsession->vdev;
 	if (vsession->lcore != -1) {
-		SPDK_ERRLOG("Controller %s already loaded.\n", vdev->name);
+		/* already started, nothing to do */
+		rc = 0;
 		goto out;
 	}
 
@@ -1302,6 +1303,8 @@ new_connection(int vid)
 	vsession->stats_check_interval = SPDK_VHOST_STATS_CHECK_INTERVAL_MS *
 					 spdk_get_ticks_hz() / 1000UL;
 	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&vdev->vsessions, vsession, tailq);
+
+	spdk_vhost_session_install_rte_compat_hooks(vsession);
 	pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_spdk_vhost_mutex);
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/lib/vhost/vhost_internal.h b/lib/vhost/vhost_internal.h
index fb3566fbe..9080ef5b1 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/vhost_internal.h
+++ b/lib/vhost/vhost_internal.h
@@ -126,6 +126,8 @@ struct spdk_vhost_session {
 
 	int32_t lcore;
 
+	bool needs_restart;
+
 	struct rte_vhost_memory *mem;
 
 	int task_cnt;
@@ -345,6 +347,9 @@ int spdk_vhost_session_send_event(struct spdk_vhost_session *vsession,
  */
 void spdk_vhost_session_event_done(void *event_ctx, int response);
 
+struct spdk_vhost_session *spdk_vhost_session_find_by_vid(int vid);
+void spdk_vhost_session_install_rte_compat_hooks(struct spdk_vhost_session *vsession);
+
 void spdk_vhost_free_reactor(uint32_t lcore);
 uint32_t spdk_vhost_allocate_reactor(struct spdk_cpuset *cpumask);
 
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/vhost/vhost.c/vhost_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/vhost/vhost.c/vhost_ut.c
index 62f6588d3..ae132133e 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/vhost/vhost.c/vhost_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/vhost/vhost.c/vhost_ut.c
@@ -46,6 +46,8 @@ DEFINE_STUB(rte_vhost_set_vring_base, int, (int vid, uint16_t queue_id,
 		uint16_t last_avail_idx, uint16_t last_used_idx), 0);
 DEFINE_STUB(rte_vhost_get_vring_base, int, (int vid, uint16_t queue_id,
 		uint16_t *last_avail_idx, uint16_t *last_used_idx), 0);
+DEFINE_STUB_V(spdk_vhost_session_install_rte_compat_hooks,
+	      (struct spdk_vhost_session *vsession));
 DEFINE_STUB(rte_vhost_driver_unregister, int, (const char *path), 0);
 DEFINE_STUB(spdk_event_allocate, struct spdk_event *,
 	    (uint32_t lcore, spdk_event_fn fn, void *arg1, void *arg2), NULL);