diff --git a/include/spdk/dif.h b/include/spdk/dif.h
index 9f030d4c0..06d279396 100644
--- a/include/spdk/dif.h
+++ b/include/spdk/dif.h
@@ -289,15 +289,15 @@ int spdk_dif_set_md_interleave_iovs(struct iovec *iovs, int iovcnt,
 /**
  * Generate and insert DIF into metadata space for newly read data block.
  *
- * \param buf Buffer to create extended LBA payload.
- * \param buf_len Length of the buffer to create extended LBA payload.
- * \param offset Offset to the newly read data.
- * \param read_len Length of the newly read data.
+ * \param iovs iovec array describing the extended LBA payload.
+ * \param iovcnt Number of elements in the iovec array.
+ * \param offset Offset to the newly read data in the extended LBA payload.
+ * \param read_len Length of the newly read data in the extended LBA payload.
  * \param ctx DIF context.
  *
  * \return 0 on success and negated errno otherwise.
  */
-int spdk_dif_generate_stream(uint8_t *buf, uint32_t buf_len,
+int spdk_dif_generate_stream(struct iovec *iovs, int iovcnt,
 			     uint32_t offset, uint32_t read_len,
 			     const struct spdk_dif_ctx *ctx);
 #endif /* SPDK_DIF_H */
diff --git a/lib/iscsi/iscsi.c b/lib/iscsi/iscsi.c
index 3855d521e..f58ca8bba 100644
--- a/lib/iscsi/iscsi.c
+++ b/lib/iscsi/iscsi.c
@@ -384,7 +384,7 @@ iscsi_conn_read_data_segment(struct spdk_iscsi_conn *conn,
 		if (rc > 0) {
 			rc = spdk_iscsi_conn_readv_data(conn, iovs, rc);
 			if (rc > 0) {
-				_rc = spdk_dif_generate_stream(pdu->data_buf, pdu->data_buf_len,
+				_rc = spdk_dif_generate_stream(&buf_iov, 1,
 							       pdu->data_valid_bytes, rc,
 							       &dif_ctx);
 				if (_rc != 0) {
diff --git a/lib/util/dif.c b/lib/util/dif.c
index 023ce58d3..c5c377153 100644
--- a/lib/util/dif.c
+++ b/lib/util/dif.c
@@ -1426,18 +1426,14 @@ spdk_dif_set_md_interleave_iovs(struct iovec *iovs, int iovcnt,
 	}
 }
 
-int
-spdk_dif_generate_stream(uint8_t *buf, uint32_t buf_len,
-			 uint32_t offset, uint32_t read_len,
-			 const struct spdk_dif_ctx *ctx)
+static int
+dif_generate_stream(uint8_t *buf, uint32_t buf_len,
+		    uint32_t offset, uint32_t read_len,
+		    const struct spdk_dif_ctx *ctx)
 {
 	uint32_t data_block_size, offset_blocks, num_blocks, i;
 	uint16_t guard = 0;
 
-	if (buf == NULL) {
-		return -EINVAL;
-	}
-
 	data_block_size = ctx->block_size - ctx->md_size;
 
 	offset_blocks = offset / data_block_size;
@@ -1464,3 +1460,20 @@ spdk_dif_generate_stream(uint8_t *buf, uint32_t buf_len,
 
 	return 0;
 }
+
+int
+spdk_dif_generate_stream(struct iovec *iovs, int iovcnt,
+			 uint32_t offset, uint32_t read_len,
+			 const struct spdk_dif_ctx *ctx)
+{
+	if (iovs == NULL || iovcnt == 0) {
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	if (iovcnt == 1) {
+		return dif_generate_stream(iovs[0].iov_base, iovs[0].iov_len,
+					   offset, read_len, ctx);
+	} else {
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+}
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/util/dif.c/dif_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/util/dif.c/dif_ut.c
index 0c43561f3..e45a23c39 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/util/dif.c/dif_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/util/dif.c/dif_ut.c
@@ -1422,7 +1422,7 @@ set_md_interleave_iovs_test(void)
 	read_base = ut_readv(0, 1024, dif_iovs, 4);
 	CU_ASSERT(read_base == 1024);
 
-	rc = spdk_dif_generate_stream(buf1, (4096 + 128) * 4, 0, 1024, &ctx);
+	rc = spdk_dif_generate_stream(&iov1, 1, 0, 1024, &ctx);
 	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
 
 	rc = spdk_dif_set_md_interleave_iovs(dif_iovs, 4, &iov1, 1,
@@ -1437,7 +1437,7 @@ set_md_interleave_iovs_test(void)
 	read_base += ut_readv(read_base, 3071, dif_iovs, 4);
 	CU_ASSERT(read_base == 4095);
 
-	rc = spdk_dif_generate_stream(buf1, (4096 + 128) * 4, 1024, 3071, &ctx);
+	rc = spdk_dif_generate_stream(&iov1, 1, 1024, 3071, &ctx);
 	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
 
 	rc = spdk_dif_set_md_interleave_iovs(dif_iovs, 4, &iov1, 1,
@@ -1452,7 +1452,7 @@ set_md_interleave_iovs_test(void)
 	read_base += ut_readv(read_base, 1 + 4096 * 2 + 512, dif_iovs, 4);
 	CU_ASSERT(read_base == 4096 * 3 + 512);
 
-	rc = spdk_dif_generate_stream(buf1, (4096 + 128) * 4, 4095, 1 + 4096 * 2 + 512, &ctx);
+	rc = spdk_dif_generate_stream(&iov1, 1, 4095, 1 + 4096 * 2 + 512, &ctx);
 	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
 
 	rc = spdk_dif_set_md_interleave_iovs(dif_iovs, 4, &iov1, 1,
@@ -1464,7 +1464,7 @@ set_md_interleave_iovs_test(void)
 	read_base += ut_readv(read_base, 3584, dif_iovs, 1);
 	CU_ASSERT(read_base == 4096 * 4);
 
-	rc = spdk_dif_generate_stream(buf1, (4096 + 128) * 4, 4096 * 3 + 512, 3584, &ctx);
+	rc = spdk_dif_generate_stream(&iov1, 1, 4096 * 3 + 512, 3584, &ctx);
 	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
 
 	/* The second data buffer:
@@ -1604,25 +1604,25 @@ dif_generate_stream_test(void)
 			       22, 0xFFFF, 0x22, GUARD_SEED);
 	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
 
-	rc = spdk_dif_generate_stream(iov.iov_base, (512 + 8) * 5, 0, 511, &ctx);
+	rc = spdk_dif_generate_stream(&iov, 1, 0, 511, &ctx);
 	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
 
-	rc = spdk_dif_generate_stream(iov.iov_base, (512 + 8) * 5, 511, 1, &ctx);
+	rc = spdk_dif_generate_stream(&iov, 1, 511, 1, &ctx);
 	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
 
-	rc = spdk_dif_generate_stream(iov.iov_base, (512 + 8) * 5, 512, 256, &ctx);
+	rc = spdk_dif_generate_stream(&iov, 1, 512, 256, &ctx);
 	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
 
-	rc = spdk_dif_generate_stream(iov.iov_base, (512 + 8) * 5, 768, 512, &ctx);
+	rc = spdk_dif_generate_stream(&iov, 1, 768, 512, &ctx);
 	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
 
-	rc = spdk_dif_generate_stream(iov.iov_base, (512 + 8) * 5, 1280, 1024, &ctx);
+	rc = spdk_dif_generate_stream(&iov, 1, 1280, 1024, &ctx);
 	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
 
-	rc = spdk_dif_generate_stream(iov.iov_base, (512 + 8) * 5, 2304, 256, &ctx);
+	rc = spdk_dif_generate_stream(&iov, 1, 2304, 256, &ctx);
 	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
 
-	rc = spdk_dif_generate_stream(iov.iov_base, (512 + 8) * 5, 2560, 512, &ctx);
+	rc = spdk_dif_generate_stream(&iov, 1, 2560, 512, &ctx);
 	CU_ASSERT(rc == -ERANGE);
 
 	rc = spdk_dif_verify(&iov, 1, 5, &ctx, &err_blk);