diff --git a/test/nvmf/common.sh b/test/nvmf/common.sh
index 2af08fa4a..ac07f9ecf 100644
--- a/test/nvmf/common.sh
+++ b/test/nvmf/common.sh
@@ -295,3 +295,40 @@ function get_nvme_devs()
 	(( ${#nvmes[@]} )) || return 1
 	echo "${#nvmes[@]}" >&2
 }
+
+function gen_nvmf_target_json()
+{
+	local subsystem config=()
+
+	for subsystem in "${@:-1}"; do
+		config+=(
+			"$(
+				cat <<-EOF
+					{
+					  "params": {
+					    "name": "Nvme$subsystem",
+					    "trtype": "$TEST_TRANSPORT",
+					    "traddr": "$NVMF_FIRST_TARGET_IP",
+					    "adrfam": "ipv4",
+					    "trsvcid": "$NVMF_PORT",
+					    "subnqn": "nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode$subsystem"
+					  },
+					  "method": "bdev_nvme_attach_controller"
+					}
+				EOF
+			)"
+		)
+	done
+	jq . <<-JSON
+		{
+		  "subsystems": [
+		    {
+		      "subsystem": "bdev",
+		      "config": [
+		        $(IFS=","; printf '%s\n' "${config[*]}")
+		      ]
+		    }
+		  ]
+		}
+	JSON
+}
diff --git a/test/nvmf/host/bdevperf.sh b/test/nvmf/host/bdevperf.sh
index ca73c9560..7666640ad 100755
--- a/test/nvmf/host/bdevperf.sh
+++ b/test/nvmf/host/bdevperf.sh
@@ -32,11 +32,9 @@ fi
 
 tgt_init
 
-echo "[Nvme]" > $testdir/bdevperf.conf
-echo "  TransportID \"trtype:$TEST_TRANSPORT adrfam:IPv4 subnqn:nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode1 traddr:$NVMF_FIRST_TARGET_IP trsvcid:$NVMF_PORT\" Nvme0" >> $testdir/bdevperf.conf
-$rootdir/test/bdev/bdevperf/bdevperf -c $testdir/bdevperf.conf -q 128 -o 4096 -w verify -t 1
+"$rootdir/test/bdev/bdevperf/bdevperf" --json <(gen_nvmf_target_json) -q 128 -o 4096 -w verify -t 1
 
-$rootdir/test/bdev/bdevperf/bdevperf -c $testdir/bdevperf.conf -q 128 -o 4096 -w verify -t 15 -f &
+"$rootdir/test/bdev/bdevperf/bdevperf" --json <(gen_nvmf_target_json) -q 128 -o 4096 -w verify -t 15 -f &
 bdevperfpid=$!
 
 sleep 3
@@ -47,7 +45,6 @@ tgt_init
 
 wait $bdevperfpid
 sync
-rm -rf $testdir/bdevperf.conf
 $rpc_py nvmf_delete_subsystem nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode1
 
 trap - SIGINT SIGTERM EXIT
diff --git a/test/nvmf/target/bdev_io_wait.sh b/test/nvmf/target/bdev_io_wait.sh
index f6f684e34..967af03c2 100755
--- a/test/nvmf/target/bdev_io_wait.sh
+++ b/test/nvmf/target/bdev_io_wait.sh
@@ -23,15 +23,13 @@ $rpc_py nvmf_create_subsystem nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode1 -a -s SPDK0000000000000
 $rpc_py nvmf_subsystem_add_ns nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode1 Malloc0
 $rpc_py nvmf_subsystem_add_listener  nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode1 -t $TEST_TRANSPORT -a $NVMF_FIRST_TARGET_IP -s $NVMF_PORT
 
-echo "[Nvme]" > $testdir/bdevperf.conf
-echo "  TransportID \"trtype:$TEST_TRANSPORT adrfam:IPv4 subnqn:nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode1 traddr:$NVMF_FIRST_TARGET_IP trsvcid:$NVMF_PORT\" Nvme0" >> $testdir/bdevperf.conf
-$rootdir/test/bdev/bdevperf/bdevperf -m 0x10 -i 1 -c $testdir/bdevperf.conf -q 128 -o 4096 -w write -t 1 &
+"$rootdir/test/bdev/bdevperf/bdevperf" -m 0x10 -i 1 --json <(gen_nvmf_target_json) -q 128 -o 4096 -w write -t 1 &
 WRITE_PID=$!
-$rootdir/test/bdev/bdevperf/bdevperf -m 0x20 -i 2 -c $testdir/bdevperf.conf -q 128 -o 4096 -w read -t 1 &
+"$rootdir/test/bdev/bdevperf/bdevperf" -m 0x20 -i 2 --json <(gen_nvmf_target_json) -q 128 -o 4096 -w read -t 1 &
 READ_PID=$!
-$rootdir/test/bdev/bdevperf/bdevperf -m 0x40 -i 3 -c $testdir/bdevperf.conf -q 128 -o 4096 -w flush -t 1  &
+"$rootdir/test/bdev/bdevperf/bdevperf" -m 0x40 -i 3 --json <(gen_nvmf_target_json) -q 128 -o 4096 -w flush -t 1  &
 FLUSH_PID=$!
-$rootdir/test/bdev/bdevperf/bdevperf -m 0x80 -i 4 -c $testdir/bdevperf.conf -q 128 -o 4096 -w unmap -t 1 &
+"$rootdir/test/bdev/bdevperf/bdevperf" -m 0x80 -i 4 --json <(gen_nvmf_target_json) -q 128 -o 4096 -w unmap -t 1 &
 UNMAP_PID=$!
 sync
 
@@ -40,7 +38,6 @@ wait $READ_PID
 wait $FLUSH_PID
 wait $UNMAP_PID
 
-rm -rf $testdir/bdevperf.conf
 $rpc_py nvmf_delete_subsystem nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode1
 
 trap - SIGINT SIGTERM EXIT
diff --git a/test/nvmf/target/bdevio.sh b/test/nvmf/target/bdevio.sh
index 85e488af5..f1ec789c2 100755
--- a/test/nvmf/target/bdevio.sh
+++ b/test/nvmf/target/bdevio.sh
@@ -20,12 +20,8 @@ $rpc_py nvmf_create_subsystem nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode1 -a -s SPDK0000000000000
 $rpc_py nvmf_subsystem_add_ns nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode1 Malloc0
 $rpc_py nvmf_subsystem_add_listener  nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode1 -t $TEST_TRANSPORT -a $NVMF_FIRST_TARGET_IP -s $NVMF_PORT
 
-echo "[Nvme]" > $testdir/bdevperf.conf
-echo "  TransportID \"trtype:$TEST_TRANSPORT adrfam:IPv4 subnqn:nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode1 traddr:$NVMF_FIRST_TARGET_IP trsvcid:$NVMF_PORT\" Nvme0" >> $testdir/bdevperf.conf
+$rootdir/test/bdev/bdevio/bdevio --json <(gen_nvmf_target_json)
 
-$rootdir/test/bdev/bdevio/bdevio -c $testdir/bdevperf.conf
-
-rm -rf $testdir/bdevperf.conf
 $rpc_py nvmf_delete_subsystem nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode1
 
 trap - SIGINT SIGTERM EXIT
diff --git a/test/nvmf/target/shutdown.sh b/test/nvmf/target/shutdown.sh
index 01e156e80..656f81a4e 100755
--- a/test/nvmf/target/shutdown.sh
+++ b/test/nvmf/target/shutdown.sh
@@ -16,30 +16,24 @@ function starttarget() {
 
 	$rpc_py nvmf_create_transport $NVMF_TRANSPORT_OPTS -u 8192
 
-	num_subsystems=10
+	num_subsystems=({1..10})
 	# SoftRoce does not have enough queues available for
 	# this test. Detect if we're using software RDMA.
 	# If so, only use two subsystem.
 	if check_ip_is_soft_roce "$NVMF_FIRST_TARGET_IP"; then
-		num_subsystems=2
+		num_subsystems=({1..2})
 	fi
 
-	touch $testdir/bdevperf.conf
-	echo "[Nvme]" > $testdir/bdevperf.conf
-
 	timing_enter create_subsystems
 	# Create subsystems
 	rm -rf $testdir/rpcs.txt
-	for i in $(seq 1 $num_subsystems)
-	do
+	for i in "${num_subsystems[@]}"; do
 		cat <<- EOL >> $testdir/rpcs.txt
-	bdev_malloc_create $MALLOC_BDEV_SIZE $MALLOC_BLOCK_SIZE -b Malloc$i
-	nvmf_create_subsystem nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode$i -a -s SPDK$i
-	nvmf_subsystem_add_ns nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode$i Malloc$i
-	nvmf_subsystem_add_listener nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode$i -t $TEST_TRANSPORT -a $NVMF_FIRST_TARGET_IP -s $NVMF_PORT
-	EOL
-
-		echo "  TransportID \"trtype:$TEST_TRANSPORT adrfam:IPv4 subnqn:nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode$i traddr:$NVMF_FIRST_TARGET_IP trsvcid:$NVMF_PORT hostaddr:$NVMF_FIRST_TARGET_IP\" Nvme$i" >> $testdir/bdevperf.conf
+			bdev_malloc_create $MALLOC_BDEV_SIZE $MALLOC_BLOCK_SIZE -b Malloc$i
+			nvmf_create_subsystem nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode$i -a -s SPDK$i
+			nvmf_subsystem_add_ns nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode$i Malloc$i
+			nvmf_subsystem_add_listener nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode$i -t $TEST_TRANSPORT -a $NVMF_FIRST_TARGET_IP -s $NVMF_PORT
+		EOL
 	done
 	$rpc_py < $testdir/rpcs.txt
 	timing_exit create_subsystems
@@ -83,7 +77,7 @@ function nvmf_shutdown_tc1 {
 	starttarget
 
 	# Run bdev_svc, which connects but does not issue I/O
-	$rootdir/test/app/bdev_svc/bdev_svc -m 0x1 -i 1 -r /var/tmp/bdevperf.sock -c $testdir/bdevperf.conf &
+	$rootdir/test/app/bdev_svc/bdev_svc -m 0x1 -i 1 -r /var/tmp/bdevperf.sock --json <(gen_nvmf_target_json "${num_subsystems[@]}") &
 	perfpid=$!
 	waitforlisten $perfpid /var/tmp/bdevperf.sock
 	$rpc_py -s /var/tmp/bdevperf.sock framework_wait_init
@@ -97,7 +91,7 @@ function nvmf_shutdown_tc1 {
 	kill -0 $nvmfpid
 
 	# Connect with bdevperf and confirm it works
-	$rootdir/test/bdev/bdevperf/bdevperf -r /var/tmp/bdevperf.sock -c $testdir/bdevperf.conf -q 64 -o 65536 -w verify -t 1
+	$rootdir/test/bdev/bdevperf/bdevperf -r /var/tmp/bdevperf.sock --json <(gen_nvmf_target_json "${num_subsystems[@]}") -q 64 -o 65536 -w verify -t 1
 
 	stoptarget
 }
@@ -107,7 +101,7 @@ function nvmf_shutdown_tc2 {
 	starttarget
 
 	# Run bdevperf
-	$rootdir/test/bdev/bdevperf/bdevperf -r /var/tmp/bdevperf.sock -c $testdir/bdevperf.conf -q 64 -o 65536 -w verify -t 10 &
+	$rootdir/test/bdev/bdevperf/bdevperf -r /var/tmp/bdevperf.sock --json <(gen_nvmf_target_json "${num_subsystems[@]}") -q 64 -o 65536 -w verify -t 10 &
 	perfpid=$!
 	waitforlisten $perfpid /var/tmp/bdevperf.sock
 	$rpc_py -s /var/tmp/bdevperf.sock framework_wait_init
@@ -129,7 +123,7 @@ function nvmf_shutdown_tc3 {
 	starttarget
 
 	# Run bdevperf
-	$rootdir/test/bdev/bdevperf/bdevperf -r /var/tmp/bdevperf.sock -c $testdir/bdevperf.conf -q 64 -o 65536 -w verify -t 10 &
+	$rootdir/test/bdev/bdevperf/bdevperf -r /var/tmp/bdevperf.sock --json <(gen_nvmf_target_json "${num_subsystems[@]}")  -q 64 -o 65536 -w verify -t 10 &
 	perfpid=$!
 	waitforlisten $perfpid /var/tmp/bdevperf.sock
 	$rpc_py -s /var/tmp/bdevperf.sock framework_wait_init