diff --git a/test/common/autotest_common.sh b/test/common/autotest_common.sh
index 886b01eec..54e138294 100755
--- a/test/common/autotest_common.sh
+++ b/test/common/autotest_common.sh
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ fi
 : ${SPDK_RUN_VALGRIND=1}; export SPDK_RUN_VALGRIND
 : ${SPDK_TEST_UNITTEST=1}; export SPDK_TEST_UNITTEST
 : ${SPDK_TEST_ISCSI=1}; export SPDK_TEST_ISCSI
+: ${SPDK_TEST_ISCSI_INITIATOR=1}; export SPDK_TEST_ISCSI_INITIATOR
 : ${SPDK_TEST_NVME=1}; export SPDK_TEST_NVME
 : ${SPDK_TEST_NVMF=1}; export SPDK_TEST_NVMF
 : ${SPDK_TEST_RBD=1}; export SPDK_TEST_RBD
@@ -120,8 +121,13 @@ if [ -d /usr/include/iscsi ]; then
 	libiscsi_version=`grep LIBISCSI_API_VERSION /usr/include/iscsi/iscsi.h | head -1 | awk '{print $3}' | awk -F '(' '{print $2}' | awk -F ')' '{print $1}'`
 	if [ $libiscsi_version -ge 20150621 ]; then
 		config_params+=' --with-iscsi-initiator'
+	else
+		export SPDK_TEST_ISCSI_INITIATOR=0
 	fi
+else
+	export SPDK_TEST_ISCSI_INITIATOR=0
 fi
+
 export config_params
 
 if [ -z "$output_dir" ]; then
diff --git a/test/iscsi_tgt/initiator/bdev.conf b/test/iscsi_tgt/initiator/bdev.conf
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5495f1d24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/iscsi_tgt/initiator/bdev.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+[iSCSI_Initiator]
+  URL iscsi://127.0.0.1/iqn.2016-06.io.spdk:disk1/0 iSCSI0
+
+[Ioat]
+  Disable Yes
diff --git a/test/iscsi_tgt/initiator/initiator.sh b/test/iscsi_tgt/initiator/initiator.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..eedaddc60
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/iscsi_tgt/initiator/initiator.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+testdir=$(readlink -f $(dirname $0))
+rootdir=$(readlink -f $testdir/../../..)
+source $rootdir/test/common/autotest_common.sh
+source $rootdir/test/iscsi_tgt/common.sh
+
+timing_enter initiator
+
+# iSCSI target configuration
+PORT=3260
+INITIATOR_TAG=2
+INITIATOR_NAME=ANY
+NETMASK=$INITIATOR_IP/32
+MALLOC_BDEV_SIZE=64
+MALLOC_BLOCK_SIZE=512
+
+rpc_py="python $rootdir/scripts/rpc.py"
+
+timing_enter start_iscsi_tgt
+
+# Start the iSCSI target without using stub
+# Reason: Two SPDK processes will be started
+$rootdir/app/iscsi_tgt/iscsi_tgt -c $testdir/iscsi.conf -m 0x2 -p 1 -s 512 &
+pid=$!
+echo "iSCSI target launched. pid: $pid"
+trap "killprocess $pid;exit 1" SIGINT SIGTERM EXIT
+waitforlisten $pid
+echo "iscsi_tgt is listening. Running tests..."
+
+timing_exit start_iscsi_tgt
+
+$rpc_py add_portal_group 1 $TARGET_IP:$PORT
+$rpc_py add_initiator_group $INITIATOR_TAG $INITIATOR_NAME $NETMASK
+$rpc_py construct_malloc_bdev $MALLOC_BDEV_SIZE $MALLOC_BLOCK_SIZE
+# "Malloc0:0" ==> use Malloc0 blockdev for LUN0
+# "1:2" ==> map PortalGroup1 to InitiatorGroup2
+# "64" ==> iSCSI queue depth 64
+# "-d" ==> disable CHAP authentication
+$rpc_py construct_target_node disk1 disk1_alias 'Malloc0:0' '1:2' 256 -d
+sleep 1
+trap "killprocess $pid; exit 1" SIGINT SIGTERM EXIT
+$rootdir/test/lib/bdev/bdevperf/bdevperf -c $testdir/bdev.conf -q 128 -s 4096 -w verify -t 5 -d 512
+
+trap - SIGINT SIGTERM EXIT
+
+killprocess $pid
+
+report_test_completion "iscsi_initiator"
+timing_exit initiator
diff --git a/test/iscsi_tgt/initiator/iscsi.conf b/test/iscsi_tgt/initiator/iscsi.conf
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8f0a3d31b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/iscsi_tgt/initiator/iscsi.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+[Global]
+  Comment "Global section"
+
+[iSCSI]
+  NodeBase "iqn.2016-06.io.spdk"
+  AuthFile /usr/local/etc/spdk/auth.conf
+  Timeout 30
+  DiscoveryAuthMethod Auto
+  MaxSessions 4
+  ImmediateData Yes
+  ErrorRecoveryLevel 0
+
+# Do not specify InitiatorGroup, PortalGroup, Malloc,
+#  or TargetNode entries here - the autotest.sh script
+#  will use RPC to set up this part of the configuration.
diff --git a/test/iscsi_tgt/iscsi_tgt.sh b/test/iscsi_tgt/iscsi_tgt.sh
index 3e2e80d58..f525444de 100755
--- a/test/iscsi_tgt/iscsi_tgt.sh
+++ b/test/iscsi_tgt/iscsi_tgt.sh
@@ -61,4 +61,8 @@ if [ $RUN_NIGHTLY -eq 1 ]; then
 	run_test ./test/iscsi_tgt/multiconnection/multiconnection.sh
 fi
 
+if [ $SPDK_TEST_ISCSI_INITIATOR -eq 1 ]; then
+	run_test ./test/iscsi_tgt/initiator/initiator.sh
+fi
+
 timing_exit iscsi_tgt