diff --git a/lib/vhost/vhost.c b/lib/vhost/vhost.c
index 1ab12c80f..a48c30458 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/vhost.c
+++ b/lib/vhost/vhost.c
@@ -592,7 +592,7 @@ vhost_dev_register(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev, const char *name, const char *ma
 		   const struct spdk_vhost_dev_backend *backend)
 {
 	char path[PATH_MAX];
-	struct spdk_cpuset *cpumask;
+	struct spdk_cpuset cpumask = {};
 	int rc;
 
 	assert(vdev);
@@ -601,13 +601,7 @@ vhost_dev_register(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev, const char *name, const char *ma
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
-	cpumask = spdk_cpuset_alloc();
-	if (!cpumask) {
-		SPDK_ERRLOG("spdk_cpuset_alloc failed\n");
-		return -ENOMEM;
-	}
-
-	if (vhost_parse_core_mask(mask_str, cpumask) != 0) {
+	if (vhost_parse_core_mask(mask_str, &cpumask) != 0) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("cpumask %s is invalid (app mask is 0x%s)\n",
 			    mask_str, spdk_cpuset_fmt(spdk_app_get_core_mask()));
 		rc = -EINVAL;
@@ -636,7 +630,7 @@ vhost_dev_register(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev, const char *name, const char *ma
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	vdev->cpumask = cpumask;
+	spdk_cpuset_copy(&vdev->cpumask, &cpumask);
 	vdev->registered = true;
 	vdev->backend = backend;
 	TAILQ_INIT(&vdev->vsessions);
@@ -658,7 +652,6 @@ vhost_dev_register(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev, const char *name, const char *ma
 	return 0;
 
 out:
-	spdk_cpuset_free(cpumask);
 	return rc;
 }
 
@@ -681,7 +674,6 @@ vhost_dev_unregister(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev)
 
 	free(vdev->name);
 	free(vdev->path);
-	spdk_cpuset_free(vdev->cpumask);
 	TAILQ_REMOVE(&g_vhost_devices, vdev, tailq);
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -711,7 +703,7 @@ const struct spdk_cpuset *
 spdk_vhost_dev_get_cpumask(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev)
 {
 	assert(vdev != NULL);
-	return vdev->cpumask;
+	return &vdev->cpumask;
 }
 
 struct vhost_poll_group *
diff --git a/lib/vhost/vhost_blk.c b/lib/vhost/vhost_blk.c
index 523ce51f1..71b3e1c84 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/vhost_blk.c
+++ b/lib/vhost/vhost_blk.c
@@ -792,7 +792,7 @@ vhost_blk_start(struct spdk_vhost_session *vsession)
 {
 	struct vhost_poll_group *pg;
 
-	pg = vhost_get_poll_group(vsession->vdev->cpumask);
+	pg = vhost_get_poll_group(&vsession->vdev->cpumask);
 	return vhost_session_send_event(pg, vsession, vhost_blk_start_cb,
 					3, "start session");
 }
@@ -891,7 +891,7 @@ vhost_blk_write_config_json(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev, struct spdk_json_write_
 	spdk_json_write_named_object_begin(w, "params");
 	spdk_json_write_named_string(w, "ctrlr", vdev->name);
 	spdk_json_write_named_string(w, "dev_name", spdk_bdev_get_name(bvdev->bdev));
-	spdk_json_write_named_string(w, "cpumask", spdk_cpuset_fmt(vdev->cpumask));
+	spdk_json_write_named_string(w, "cpumask", spdk_cpuset_fmt(&vdev->cpumask));
 	spdk_json_write_named_bool(w, "readonly", bvdev->readonly);
 	spdk_json_write_object_end(w);
 
diff --git a/lib/vhost/vhost_internal.h b/lib/vhost/vhost_internal.h
index 377903956..0057fc0dc 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/vhost_internal.h
+++ b/lib/vhost/vhost_internal.h
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ struct spdk_vhost_dev {
 	char *name;
 	char *path;
 
-	struct spdk_cpuset *cpumask;
+	struct spdk_cpuset cpumask;
 	bool registered;
 
 	uint64_t virtio_features;
diff --git a/lib/vhost/vhost_rpc.c b/lib/vhost/vhost_rpc.c
index 1b4fb2863..5eff6f165 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/vhost_rpc.c
+++ b/lib/vhost/vhost_rpc.c
@@ -372,7 +372,7 @@ _spdk_rpc_get_vhost_controller(struct spdk_json_write_ctx *w, struct spdk_vhost_
 	spdk_json_write_object_begin(w);
 
 	spdk_json_write_named_string(w, "ctrlr", spdk_vhost_dev_get_name(vdev));
-	spdk_json_write_named_string_fmt(w, "cpumask", "0x%s", spdk_cpuset_fmt(vdev->cpumask));
+	spdk_json_write_named_string_fmt(w, "cpumask", "0x%s", spdk_cpuset_fmt(&vdev->cpumask));
 	spdk_json_write_named_uint32(w, "delay_base_us", delay_base_us);
 	spdk_json_write_named_uint32(w, "iops_threshold", iops_threshold);
 	spdk_json_write_named_string(w, "socket", vdev->path);
diff --git a/lib/vhost/vhost_scsi.c b/lib/vhost/vhost_scsi.c
index 2d611cb19..ef9edd09b 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/vhost_scsi.c
+++ b/lib/vhost/vhost_scsi.c
@@ -1367,7 +1367,7 @@ vhost_scsi_start(struct spdk_vhost_session *vsession)
 	svsession->svdev = svdev;
 
 	if (svdev->vdev.active_session_num == 0) {
-		svdev->poll_group = vhost_get_poll_group(svdev->vdev.cpumask);
+		svdev->poll_group = vhost_get_poll_group(&svdev->vdev.cpumask);
 	}
 
 	return vhost_session_send_event(svdev->poll_group, vsession,
@@ -1521,7 +1521,7 @@ vhost_scsi_write_config_json(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev, struct spdk_json_write
 
 	spdk_json_write_named_object_begin(w, "params");
 	spdk_json_write_named_string(w, "ctrlr", vdev->name);
-	spdk_json_write_named_string(w, "cpumask", spdk_cpuset_fmt(vdev->cpumask));
+	spdk_json_write_named_string(w, "cpumask", spdk_cpuset_fmt(&vdev->cpumask));
 	spdk_json_write_object_end(w);
 
 	spdk_json_write_object_end(w);