diff --git a/test/vhost/shared/bdev.conf b/test/vhost/shared/bdev.conf
deleted file mode 100644
index 95e8af514..000000000
--- a/test/vhost/shared/bdev.conf
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-[VirtioUser0]
-  Path Malloc.0
-  Queues 2
-  Type Blk
-  Name VirtioBlk0
diff --git a/test/vhost/shared/bdev.json b/test/vhost/shared/bdev.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ad28314a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/vhost/shared/bdev.json
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+{
+  "subsystems": [
+    {
+      "subsystem": "bdev",
+      "config": [
+        {
+          "method": "bdev_virtio_attach_controller",
+          "params": {
+            "vq_count": 2,
+            "traddr": "Malloc.0",
+            "dev_type": "blk",
+            "vq_size": 512,
+            "name": "VirtioBlk0",
+            "trtype": "user"
+          }
+        }
+      ]
+    }
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/test/vhost/shared/shared.sh b/test/vhost/shared/shared.sh
index 0f85e329f..eee7f73de 100755
--- a/test/vhost/shared/shared.sh
+++ b/test/vhost/shared/shared.sh
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ rpc_py="$rootdir/scripts/rpc.py -s $(get_vhost_dir 0)/rpc.sock"
 function run_spdk_fio() {
 	fio_bdev --ioengine=spdk_bdev \
 	"$rootdir/test/vhost/common/fio_jobs/default_initiator.job" --runtime=10 --rw=randrw \
-	--spdk_mem=1024 --spdk_single_seg=1 --spdk_conf=$testdir/bdev.conf "$@"
+	--spdk_mem=1024 --spdk_single_seg=1 --spdk_json_conf=$testdir/bdev.json "$@"
 }
 
 vhosttestinit