diff --git a/lib/vhost/rte_vhost_compat.c b/lib/vhost/rte_vhost_compat.c
index a1b35b99f..60ba72979 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/rte_vhost_compat.c
+++ b/lib/vhost/rte_vhost_compat.c
@@ -48,7 +48,51 @@
 
 #include "spdk_internal/vhost_user.h"
 
-extern const struct vhost_device_ops g_spdk_vhost_ops;
+static int
+new_connection(int vid)
+{
+	char ifname[PATH_MAX];
+
+	if (rte_vhost_get_ifname(vid, ifname, PATH_MAX) < 0) {
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("Couldn't get a valid ifname for device with vid %d\n", vid);
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	return vhost_new_connection_cb(vid, ifname);
+}
+
+static int
+start_device(int vid)
+{
+	return vhost_start_device_cb(vid);
+}
+
+static void
+stop_device(int vid)
+{
+	vhost_stop_device_cb(vid);
+}
+
+static void
+destroy_connection(int vid)
+{
+	vhost_destroy_connection_cb(vid);
+}
+
+const struct vhost_device_ops g_spdk_vhost_ops = {
+	.new_device =  start_device,
+	.destroy_device = stop_device,
+	.new_connection = new_connection,
+	.destroy_connection = destroy_connection,
+#ifdef SPDK_CONFIG_VHOST_INTERNAL_LIB
+	.get_config = get_config,
+	.set_config = set_config,
+	.vhost_nvme_admin_passthrough = vhost_nvme_admin_passthrough,
+	.vhost_nvme_set_cq_call = vhost_nvme_set_cq_call,
+	.vhost_nvme_get_cap = vhost_nvme_get_cap,
+	.vhost_nvme_set_bar_mr = vhost_nvme_set_bar_mr,
+#endif
+};
 
 #ifndef SPDK_CONFIG_VHOST_INTERNAL_LIB
 
diff --git a/lib/vhost/vhost.c b/lib/vhost/vhost.c
index c002be370..5b2380437 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/vhost.c
+++ b/lib/vhost/vhost.c
@@ -86,32 +86,6 @@ struct vhost_session_fn_ctx {
 	void *user_ctx;
 };
 
-static int new_connection(int vid);
-static int start_device(int vid);
-static void stop_device(int vid);
-static void destroy_connection(int vid);
-
-#ifdef SPDK_CONFIG_VHOST_INTERNAL_LIB
-static int get_config(int vid, uint8_t *config, uint32_t len);
-static int set_config(int vid, uint8_t *config, uint32_t offset,
-		      uint32_t size, uint32_t flags);
-#endif
-
-const struct vhost_device_ops g_spdk_vhost_ops = {
-	.new_device =  start_device,
-	.destroy_device = stop_device,
-	.new_connection = new_connection,
-	.destroy_connection = destroy_connection,
-#ifdef SPDK_CONFIG_VHOST_INTERNAL_LIB
-	.get_config = get_config,
-	.set_config = set_config,
-	.vhost_nvme_admin_passthrough = vhost_nvme_admin_passthrough,
-	.vhost_nvme_set_cq_call = vhost_nvme_set_cq_call,
-	.vhost_nvme_get_cap = vhost_nvme_get_cap,
-	.vhost_nvme_set_bar_mr = vhost_nvme_set_bar_mr,
-#endif
-};
-
 static TAILQ_HEAD(, spdk_vhost_dev) g_vhost_devices = TAILQ_HEAD_INITIALIZER(
 			g_vhost_devices);
 static pthread_mutex_t g_vhost_mutex = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
@@ -609,7 +583,6 @@ vhost_session_mem_unregister(struct spdk_vhost_session *vsession)
 			assert(false);
 		}
 	}
-
 }
 
 struct spdk_vhost_dev *
@@ -1086,8 +1059,8 @@ _stop_session(struct spdk_vhost_session *vsession)
 	free(vsession->mem);
 }
 
-static void
-stop_device(int vid)
+void
+vhost_stop_device_cb(int vid)
 {
 	struct spdk_vhost_session *vsession;
 
@@ -1109,8 +1082,8 @@ stop_device(int vid)
 	pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_vhost_mutex);
 }
 
-static int
-start_device(int vid)
+int
+vhost_start_device_cb(int vid)
 {
 	struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev;
 	struct spdk_vhost_session *vsession;
@@ -1200,8 +1173,8 @@ out:
 }
 
 #ifdef SPDK_CONFIG_VHOST_INTERNAL_LIB
-static int
-get_config(int vid, uint8_t *config, uint32_t len)
+int
+vhost_get_config_cb(int vid, uint8_t *config, uint32_t len)
 {
 	struct spdk_vhost_session *vsession;
 	struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev;
@@ -1224,8 +1197,8 @@ out:
 	return rc;
 }
 
-static int
-set_config(int vid, uint8_t *config, uint32_t offset, uint32_t size, uint32_t flags)
+int
+vhost_set_config_cb(int vid, uint8_t *config, uint32_t offset, uint32_t size, uint32_t flags)
 {
 	struct spdk_vhost_session *vsession;
 	struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev;
@@ -1290,21 +1263,14 @@ spdk_vhost_dev_remove(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev)
 	return vdev->backend->remove_device(vdev);
 }
 
-static int
-new_connection(int vid)
+int
+vhost_new_connection_cb(int vid, const char *ifname)
 {
 	struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev;
 	struct spdk_vhost_session *vsession;
-	char ifname[PATH_MAX];
 
 	pthread_mutex_lock(&g_vhost_mutex);
 
-	if (rte_vhost_get_ifname(vid, ifname, PATH_MAX) < 0) {
-		SPDK_ERRLOG("Couldn't get a valid ifname for device with vid %d\n", vid);
-		pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_vhost_mutex);
-		return -1;
-	}
-
 	vdev = spdk_vhost_dev_find(ifname);
 	if (vdev == NULL) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("Couldn't find device with vid %d to create connection for.\n", vid);
@@ -1353,8 +1319,8 @@ new_connection(int vid)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static void
-destroy_connection(int vid)
+void
+vhost_destroy_connection_cb(int vid)
 {
 	struct spdk_vhost_session *vsession;
 
diff --git a/lib/vhost/vhost_internal.h b/lib/vhost/vhost_internal.h
index d914a1fd3..3b75670a2 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/vhost_internal.h
+++ b/lib/vhost/vhost_internal.h
@@ -315,6 +315,21 @@ int vhost_scsi_controller_construct(void);
 int vhost_blk_controller_construct(void);
 void vhost_dump_info_json(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev, struct spdk_json_write_ctx *w);
 
+/*
+ * Vhost callbacks for vhost_device_ops interface
+ */
+
+int vhost_new_connection_cb(int vid, const char *ifname);
+int vhost_start_device_cb(int vid);
+void vhost_stop_device_cb(int vid);
+void vhost_destroy_connection_cb(int vid);
+
+#ifdef SPDK_CONFIG_VHOST_INTERNAL_LIB
+int vhost_get_config_cb(int vid, uint8_t *config, uint32_t len)
+int vhost_set_config_cb(int vid, uint8_t *config, uint32_t offset,
+			uint32_t size, uint32_t flags)
+#endif
+
 /*
  * Call a function for each session of the provided vhost device.
  * The function will be called one-by-one on each session's thread.