diff --git a/lib/nvmf/conf.c b/lib/nvmf/conf.c
index 98366a8be..c71e018de 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/conf.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/conf.c
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 #include <string.h>
 
 #include "conf.h"
+#include "controller.h"
 #include "host.h"
 #include "nvmf_internal.h"
 #include "port.h"
@@ -298,6 +299,84 @@ spdk_nvmf_parse_hosts(void)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int
+spdk_nvmf_parse_nvme(void)
+{
+	struct spdk_conf_section *sp;
+	struct nvme_bdf_whitelist *whitelist = NULL;
+	const char *val;
+	bool claim_all = false;
+	bool unbind_from_kernel = false;
+	int i = 0;
+	int rc;
+
+	sp = spdk_conf_find_section(NULL, "Nvme");
+	if (sp == NULL) {
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("NVMe device section in config file not found!\n");
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	val = spdk_conf_section_get_val(sp, "ClaimAllDevices");
+	if (val != NULL) {
+		if (!strcmp(val, "Yes")) {
+			claim_all = true;
+		}
+	}
+
+	val = spdk_conf_section_get_val(sp, "UnbindFromKernel");
+	if (val != NULL) {
+		if (!strcmp(val, "Yes")) {
+			unbind_from_kernel = true;
+		}
+	}
+
+	if (!claim_all) {
+		for (i = 0; ; i++) {
+			unsigned int domain, bus, dev, func;
+
+			val = spdk_conf_section_get_nmval(sp, "BDF", i, 0);
+			if (val == NULL) {
+				break;
+			}
+
+			whitelist = realloc(whitelist, sizeof(*whitelist) * (i + 1));
+
+			rc = sscanf(val, "%x:%x:%x.%x", &domain, &bus, &dev, &func);
+			if (rc != 4) {
+				SPDK_ERRLOG("Invalid format for BDF: %s\n", val);
+				free(whitelist);
+				return -1;
+			}
+
+			whitelist[i].domain = domain;
+			whitelist[i].bus = bus;
+			whitelist[i].dev = dev;
+			whitelist[i].func = func;
+
+			val = spdk_conf_section_get_nmval(sp, "BDF", i, 1);
+			if (val == NULL) {
+				SPDK_ERRLOG("BDF section with no device name\n");
+				free(whitelist);
+				return -1;
+			}
+
+			snprintf(whitelist[i].name, MAX_NVME_NAME_LENGTH, "%s", val);
+		}
+
+		if (i == 0) {
+			SPDK_ERRLOG("No BDF section\n");
+			return -1;
+		}
+	}
+
+	rc = spdk_nvmf_init_nvme(whitelist, i,
+				 claim_all, unbind_from_kernel);
+
+	free(whitelist);
+
+	return rc;
+}
+
 int
 spdk_nvmf_parse_conf(void)
 {
@@ -321,5 +400,11 @@ spdk_nvmf_parse_conf(void)
 		return rc;
 	}
 
+	/* NVMe sections */
+	rc = spdk_nvmf_parse_nvme();
+	if (rc < 0) {
+		return rc;
+	}
+
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/controller.c b/lib/nvmf/controller.c
index 97ed795af..4af4ef148 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/controller.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/controller.c
@@ -41,19 +41,11 @@ static TAILQ_HEAD(, spdk_nvmf_ctrlr) g_ctrlrs = TAILQ_HEAD_INITIALIZER(g_ctrlrs)
 
 #define SPDK_NVMF_MAX_NVME_DEVICES 64
 
-struct nvme_bdf_whitelist {
-	uint16_t	domain;
-	uint8_t		bus;
-	uint8_t		dev;
-	uint8_t		func;
-	char		name[MAX_NVME_NAME_LENGTH];
-};
-
 struct spdk_nvmf_probe_ctx {
 	bool claim_all;
 	bool unbind_from_kernel;
 	int whitelist_count;
-	struct nvme_bdf_whitelist whitelist[SPDK_NVMF_MAX_NVME_DEVICES];
+	struct nvme_bdf_whitelist *whitelist;
 };
 
 static void
@@ -213,70 +205,15 @@ attach_cb(void *cb_ctx, struct spdk_pci_device *dev, struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctr
 }
 
 int
-spdk_nvmf_init_nvme(void)
+spdk_nvmf_init_nvme(struct nvme_bdf_whitelist *whitelist, size_t whitelist_count,
+		    bool claim_all, bool unbind_from_kernel)
 {
-	struct spdk_conf_section *sp;
 	struct spdk_nvmf_probe_ctx ctx = { 0 };
-	const char *val;
-	int i, rc;
 
-	SPDK_NOTICELOG("*** Initialize NVMe Devices ***\n");
-	sp = spdk_conf_find_section(NULL, "Nvme");
-	if (sp == NULL) {
-		SPDK_ERRLOG("NVMe device section in config file not found!\n");
-		return -1;
-	}
-
-	val = spdk_conf_section_get_val(sp, "ClaimAllDevices");
-	if (val != NULL) {
-		if (!strcmp(val, "Yes")) {
-			ctx.claim_all = true;
-		}
-	}
-
-	val = spdk_conf_section_get_val(sp, "UnbindFromKernel");
-	if (val != NULL) {
-		if (!strcmp(val, "Yes")) {
-			ctx.unbind_from_kernel = true;
-		}
-	}
-
-	if (!ctx.claim_all) {
-		for (i = 0; ; i++) {
-			unsigned int domain, bus, dev, func;
-
-			val = spdk_conf_section_get_nmval(sp, "BDF", i, 0);
-			if (val == NULL) {
-				break;
-			}
-
-			rc = sscanf(val, "%x:%x:%x.%x", &domain, &bus, &dev, &func);
-			if (rc != 4) {
-				SPDK_ERRLOG("Invalid format for BDF: %s\n", val);
-				return -1;
-			}
-
-			ctx.whitelist[ctx.whitelist_count].domain = domain;
-			ctx.whitelist[ctx.whitelist_count].bus = bus;
-			ctx.whitelist[ctx.whitelist_count].dev = dev;
-			ctx.whitelist[ctx.whitelist_count].func = func;
-
-			val = spdk_conf_section_get_nmval(sp, "BDF", i, 1);
-			if (val == NULL) {
-				SPDK_ERRLOG("BDF section with no device name\n");
-				return -1;
-			}
-
-			snprintf(ctx.whitelist[ctx.whitelist_count].name, MAX_NVME_NAME_LENGTH, "%s", val);
-
-			ctx.whitelist_count++;
-		}
-
-		if (ctx.whitelist_count == 0) {
-			SPDK_ERRLOG("No BDF section\n");
-			return -1;
-		}
-	}
+	ctx.whitelist = whitelist;
+	ctx.whitelist_count = whitelist_count;
+	ctx.claim_all = claim_all;
+	ctx.unbind_from_kernel = unbind_from_kernel;
 
 	/* Probe the physical NVMe devices */
 	if (spdk_nvme_probe(&ctx, probe_cb, attach_cb, NULL)) {
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/controller.h b/lib/nvmf/controller.h
index 9c41c0c7e..2413f5549 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/controller.h
+++ b/lib/nvmf/controller.h
@@ -40,6 +40,14 @@
 
 #define MAX_NVME_NAME_LENGTH 64
 
+struct nvme_bdf_whitelist {
+	uint16_t	domain;
+	uint8_t		bus;
+	uint8_t		dev;
+	uint8_t		func;
+	char		name[MAX_NVME_NAME_LENGTH];
+};
+
 struct spdk_nvmf_ctrlr {
 	struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr;
 	char 			name[MAX_NVME_NAME_LENGTH];
@@ -47,7 +55,8 @@ struct spdk_nvmf_ctrlr {
 	TAILQ_ENTRY(spdk_nvmf_ctrlr) entry;
 };
 
-int spdk_nvmf_init_nvme(void);
+int spdk_nvmf_init_nvme(struct nvme_bdf_whitelist *whitelist, size_t whitelist_count,
+			bool claim_all, bool unbind_from_kernel);
 int spdk_nvmf_shutdown_nvme(void);
 
 struct spdk_nvmf_ctrlr *
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c b/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
index 9f23dd5e9..11f390384 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
@@ -170,12 +170,6 @@ nvmf_tgt_subsystem_initialize(void)
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("spdk_nvmf_rdma_init() failed\n");
 		return rc;
 	}
-	/* initialize NVMe/NVMf backend */
-	rc = spdk_nvmf_init_nvme();
-	if (rc < 0) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "NVMf could not initialize NVMe devices.\n");
-		return -1;
-	}
 
 	rc = spdk_initialize_nvmf_subsystems();
 	if (rc < 0) {