diff --git a/lib/reduce/reduce.c b/lib/reduce/reduce.c
index 7c9ffbf8b..afc47d3e2 100644
--- a/lib/reduce/reduce.c
+++ b/lib/reduce/reduce.c
@@ -245,12 +245,6 @@ spdk_reduce_vol_init(struct spdk_reduce_vol_params *params,
 		return;
 	}
 
-	if (spdk_mem_all_zero(&params->uuid, sizeof(params->uuid))) {
-		SPDK_ERRLOG("no uuid specified\n");
-		cb_fn(cb_arg, NULL, -EINVAL);
-		return;
-	}
-
 	if (backing_dev->close == NULL || backing_dev->readv == NULL ||
 	    backing_dev->writev == NULL || backing_dev->unmap == NULL) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("backing_dev function pointer not specified\n");
@@ -290,6 +284,10 @@ spdk_reduce_vol_init(struct spdk_reduce_vol_params *params,
 		return;
 	}
 
+	if (spdk_mem_all_zero(&params->uuid, sizeof(params->uuid))) {
+		spdk_uuid_generate(&params->uuid);
+	}
+
 	memcpy(&vol->uuid, &params->uuid, sizeof(params->uuid));
 	vol->backing_dev = backing_dev;
 
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/reduce/reduce.c/reduce_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/reduce/reduce.c/reduce_ut.c
index 235126b90..31345f625 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/reduce/reduce.c/reduce_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/reduce/reduce.c/reduce_ut.c
@@ -232,8 +232,8 @@ init_failure(void)
 	CU_ASSERT(g_ziperrno == -EINVAL);
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(g_vol == NULL);
 
-	/* pm_file now has valid size, but uuid is still all zeroes.
-	 * This should fail.
+	/* pm_file now has valid size, but backing_dev still has null function
+	 * pointers.  This should fail.
 	 */
 	pm_file_init(&pm_file, &params);
 
@@ -243,17 +243,6 @@ init_failure(void)
 	CU_ASSERT(g_ziperrno == -EINVAL);
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(g_vol == NULL);
 
-	/* uuid is now valid, but backing_dev still has null function pointers.
-	 * This should fail.
-	 */
-	spdk_uuid_generate(&params.uuid);
-
-	g_vol = NULL;
-	g_ziperrno = 0;
-	spdk_reduce_vol_init(&params, &backing_dev, &pm_file, init_cb, NULL);
-	CU_ASSERT(g_ziperrno == -EINVAL);
-	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(g_vol == NULL);
-
 	pm_file_close(&pm_file);
 	pm_file_destroy();
 }
@@ -343,7 +332,6 @@ init_md(void)
 	params.vol_size = 1024 * 1024; /* 1MB */
 	params.chunk_size = 16 * 1024;
 	params.backing_io_unit_size = 512;
-	spdk_uuid_generate(&params.uuid);
 
 	backing_dev_init(&backing_dev, &params);
 	pm_file_init(&pm_file, &params);