diff --git a/lib/vhost/vhost.c b/lib/vhost/vhost.c
index b4efd5f00..cbe2efa05 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/vhost.c
+++ b/lib/vhost/vhost.c
@@ -707,6 +707,7 @@ spdk_vhost_dev_register(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev, const char *name, const cha
 	vdev->vid = -1;
 	vdev->lcore = -1;
 	vdev->cpumask = cpumask;
+	vdev->registered = true;
 	vdev->type = type;
 	vdev->backend = backend;
 
@@ -754,7 +755,7 @@ spdk_vhost_dev_unregister(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev)
 		return -ENOSPC;
 	}
 
-	if (rte_vhost_driver_unregister(vdev->path) != 0) {
+	if (vdev->registered && rte_vhost_driver_unregister(vdev->path) != 0) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("Could not unregister controller %s with vhost library\n"
 			    "Check if domain socket %s still exists\n",
 			    vdev->name, vdev->path);
@@ -1181,6 +1182,7 @@ session_shutdown(void *arg)
 		}
 
 		rte_vhost_driver_unregister(vdev->path);
+		vdev->registered = false;
 	}
 
 	SPDK_NOTICELOG("Exiting\n");
@@ -1337,13 +1339,28 @@ spdk_vhost_init(void)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int
+_spdk_vhost_fini_remove_vdev_cb(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev, void *arg)
+{
+	spdk_vhost_fini_cb fini_cb = arg;
+
+	if (vdev != NULL) {
+		spdk_vhost_dev_remove(vdev);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	/* All devices are removed now. */
+	free(g_num_ctrlrs);
+	fini_cb();
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static void
 _spdk_vhost_fini(void *arg1, void *arg2)
 {
 	spdk_vhost_fini_cb fini_cb = arg1;
 
-	free(g_num_ctrlrs);
-	fini_cb();
+	spdk_vhost_call_external_event_foreach(_spdk_vhost_fini_remove_vdev_cb, fini_cb);
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/lib/vhost/vhost_internal.h b/lib/vhost/vhost_internal.h
index b36a2e62b..9e06d540e 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/vhost_internal.h
+++ b/lib/vhost/vhost_internal.h
@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@ struct spdk_vhost_dev {
 	int task_cnt;
 	int32_t lcore;
 	struct spdk_cpuset *cpumask;
+	bool registered;
 
 	enum spdk_vhost_dev_type type;
 	const struct spdk_vhost_dev_backend *backend;
diff --git a/lib/vhost/vhost_scsi.c b/lib/vhost/vhost_scsi.c
index 1c1153239..edb71f77c 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/vhost_scsi.c
+++ b/lib/vhost/vhost_scsi.c
@@ -721,8 +721,16 @@ spdk_vhost_scsi_dev_remove(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev)
 
 	for (i = 0; i < SPDK_VHOST_SCSI_CTRLR_MAX_DEVS; ++i) {
 		if (svdev->scsi_dev[i]) {
-			SPDK_ERRLOG("Trying to remove non-empty controller: %s.\n", vdev->name);
-			return -EBUSY;
+			if (vdev->registered) {
+				SPDK_ERRLOG("Trying to remove non-empty controller: %s.\n", vdev->name);
+				return -EBUSY;
+			}
+
+			rc = spdk_vhost_scsi_dev_remove_tgt(vdev, i, NULL, NULL);
+			if (rc != 0) {
+				SPDK_ERRLOG("%s: failed to force-remove target %d\n", vdev->name, i);
+				return rc;
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/vhost/test_vhost.c b/test/unit/lib/vhost/test_vhost.c
index e1ad5ce43..fcacdcf80 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/vhost/test_vhost.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/vhost/test_vhost.c
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ spdk_vhost_dev_register(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev, const char *name, const cha
 	}
 
 	g_spdk_vhost_device = vdev;
+	vdev->registered = true;
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/vhost/vhost_scsi.c/vhost_scsi_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/vhost/vhost_scsi.c/vhost_scsi_ut.c
index e7ca3ac2a..d62af6867 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/vhost/vhost_scsi.c/vhost_scsi_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/vhost/vhost_scsi.c/vhost_scsi_ut.c
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ alloc_svdev(void)
 					    SPDK_CACHE_LINE_SIZE, NULL);
 
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(svdev != NULL);
+	svdev->vdev.registered = true;
 	return svdev;
 }