diff --git a/mk/spdk.lib_deps.mk b/mk/spdk.lib_deps.mk
index 1a055ff42..c1f02b0c1 100644
--- a/mk/spdk.lib_deps.mk
+++ b/mk/spdk.lib_deps.mk
@@ -135,6 +135,7 @@ DEPDIRS-bdev_split := $(BDEV_DEPS_CONF)
 DEPDIRS-bdev_aio := $(BDEV_DEPS_THREAD)
 DEPDIRS-bdev_compress := $(BDEV_DEPS_THREAD) reduce
 DEPDIRS-bdev_delay := $(BDEV_DEPS_THREAD)
+DEPDIRS-bdev_null := $(BDEV_DEPS_THREAD)
 DEPDIRS-bdev_zone_block := $(BDEV_DEPS_THREAD)
 ifeq ($(OS),Linux)
 DEPDIRS-bdev_ftl := $(BDEV_DEPS_THREAD) ftl
@@ -142,7 +143,6 @@ endif
 
 DEPDIRS-bdev_crypto := $(BDEV_DEPS_CONF_THREAD)
 DEPDIRS-bdev_iscsi := $(BDEV_DEPS_CONF_THREAD)
-DEPDIRS-bdev_null := $(BDEV_DEPS_CONF_THREAD)
 DEPDIRS-bdev_nvme = $(BDEV_DEPS_CONF_THREAD) nvme
 DEPDIRS-bdev_ocf := $(BDEV_DEPS_CONF_THREAD)
 DEPDIRS-bdev_passthru := $(BDEV_DEPS_CONF_THREAD)
diff --git a/module/bdev/null/bdev_null.c b/module/bdev/null/bdev_null.c
index 827026a31..eabc7de20 100644
--- a/module/bdev/null/bdev_null.c
+++ b/module/bdev/null/bdev_null.c
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@
 #include "spdk/stdinc.h"
 
 #include "spdk/bdev.h"
-#include "spdk/conf.h"
 #include "spdk/env.h"
 #include "spdk/thread.h"
 #include "spdk/json.h"
@@ -61,13 +60,11 @@ static void *g_null_read_buf;
 
 static int bdev_null_initialize(void);
 static void bdev_null_finish(void);
-static void bdev_null_get_spdk_running_config(FILE *fp);
 
 static struct spdk_bdev_module null_if = {
 	.name = "null",
 	.module_init = bdev_null_initialize,
 	.module_fini = bdev_null_finish,
-	.config_text = bdev_null_get_spdk_running_config,
 	.async_fini = true,
 };
 
@@ -399,23 +396,9 @@ null_bdev_destroy_cb(void *io_device, void *ctx_buf)
 	spdk_poller_unregister(&ch->poller);
 }
 
-static void
-_bdev_null_cleanup_cb(void *arg)
-{
-	spdk_free(g_null_read_buf);
-}
-
 static int
 bdev_null_initialize(void)
 {
-	struct spdk_conf_section *sp = spdk_conf_find_section(NULL, "Null");
-	uint64_t size_in_mb, num_blocks;
-	int block_size, i, rc = 0;
-	int md_size, dif_type;
-	struct spdk_bdev *bdev;
-	const char *name, *val;
-	struct spdk_null_bdev_opts opts = {};
-
 	/*
 	 * This will be used if upper layer expects us to allocate the read buffer.
 	 *  Instead of using a real rbuf from the bdev pool, just always point to
@@ -423,96 +406,18 @@ bdev_null_initialize(void)
 	 */
 	g_null_read_buf = spdk_zmalloc(SPDK_BDEV_LARGE_BUF_MAX_SIZE, 0, NULL,
 				       SPDK_ENV_SOCKET_ID_ANY, SPDK_MALLOC_DMA);
+	if (g_null_read_buf == NULL) {
+		return -1;
+	}
 
 	/*
 	 * We need to pick some unique address as our "io device" - so just use the
 	 *  address of the global tailq.
 	 */
 	spdk_io_device_register(&g_null_bdev_head, null_bdev_create_cb, null_bdev_destroy_cb,
-				sizeof(struct null_io_channel),
-				"null_bdev");
+				sizeof(struct null_io_channel), "null_bdev");
 
-	if (sp == NULL) {
-		goto end;
-	}
-
-	for (i = 0; ; ++i) {
-		val = spdk_conf_section_get_nval(sp, "Dev", i);
-		if (val == NULL) {
-			break;
-		}
-
-		name = spdk_conf_section_get_nmval(sp, "Dev", i, 0);
-		if (name == NULL) {
-			SPDK_ERRLOG("Null entry %d: Name must be provided\n", i);
-			continue;
-		}
-
-		val = spdk_conf_section_get_nmval(sp, "Dev", i, 1);
-		if (val == NULL) {
-			SPDK_ERRLOG("Null entry %d: Size in MB must be provided\n", i);
-			continue;
-		}
-
-		errno = 0;
-		size_in_mb = strtoull(val, NULL, 10);
-		if (errno) {
-			SPDK_ERRLOG("Null entry %d: Invalid size in MB %s\n", i, val);
-			continue;
-		}
-
-		val = spdk_conf_section_get_nmval(sp, "Dev", i, 2);
-		if (val == NULL) {
-			block_size = 512;
-		} else {
-			block_size = (int)spdk_strtol(val, 10);
-			if (block_size <= 0) {
-				SPDK_ERRLOG("Null entry %d: Invalid block size %s\n", i, val);
-				continue;
-			}
-		}
-
-		val = spdk_conf_section_get_nmval(sp, "Dev", i, 3);
-		if (val == NULL) {
-			md_size = 0;
-		} else {
-			md_size = (int)spdk_strtol(val, 10);
-			if (md_size < 0) {
-				SPDK_ERRLOG("Null entry %d: Invalid metadata size %s\n", i, val);
-				continue;
-			}
-		}
-
-		val = spdk_conf_section_get_nmval(sp, "Dev", i, 4);
-		if (val == NULL) {
-			dif_type = SPDK_DIF_DISABLE;
-		} else {
-			dif_type = (int)spdk_strtol(val, 10);
-			if (dif_type < SPDK_DIF_DISABLE || dif_type > SPDK_DIF_TYPE3) {
-				SPDK_ERRLOG("Null entry %d: Invalid data protection type %s\n", i, val);
-				continue;
-			}
-		}
-		num_blocks = size_in_mb * (1024 * 1024) / block_size;
-
-		opts.name = name;
-		opts.num_blocks = num_blocks;
-		opts.block_size = block_size;
-		opts.md_size = md_size;
-		opts.md_interleave = true;
-		opts.dif_type = dif_type;
-		opts.dif_is_head_of_md = false;
-		rc = bdev_null_create(&bdev, &opts);
-		if (rc) {
-			SPDK_ERRLOG("Could not create null bdev\n");
-			goto end;
-		}
-	}
-end:
-	if (rc) {
-		spdk_io_device_unregister(&g_null_bdev_head, _bdev_null_cleanup_cb);
-	}
-	return rc;
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static void
@@ -528,21 +433,4 @@ bdev_null_finish(void)
 	spdk_io_device_unregister(&g_null_bdev_head, _bdev_null_finish_cb);
 }
 
-static void
-bdev_null_get_spdk_running_config(FILE *fp)
-{
-	struct null_bdev *bdev;
-	uint64_t null_bdev_size;
-
-	fprintf(fp, "\n[Null]\n");
-
-	TAILQ_FOREACH(bdev, &g_null_bdev_head, tailq) {
-		null_bdev_size = bdev->bdev.blocklen * bdev->bdev.blockcnt;
-		null_bdev_size /= (1024 * 1024);
-		fprintf(fp, "  Dev %s %" PRIu64 " %d %d %d\n",
-			bdev->bdev.name, null_bdev_size, bdev->bdev.blocklen, bdev->bdev.md_len,
-			bdev->bdev.dif_type);
-	}
-}
-
 SPDK_LOG_REGISTER_COMPONENT(bdev_null)