diff --git a/lib/virtio/virtio.c b/lib/virtio/virtio.c
index 2f5abb1a5..1a9709a90 100644
--- a/lib/virtio/virtio.c
+++ b/lib/virtio/virtio.c
@@ -116,11 +116,8 @@ virtio_init_vring(struct virtqueue *vq)
 static int
 virtio_init_queue(struct virtio_dev *dev, uint16_t vtpci_queue_idx)
 {
-	void *queue_mem;
 	unsigned int vq_size, size;
-	uint64_t queue_mem_phys_addr;
 	struct virtqueue *vq;
-	int ret;
 
 	SPDK_DEBUGLOG(SPDK_LOG_VIRTIO_DEV, "setting up queue: %"PRIu16"\n", vtpci_queue_idx);
 
@@ -164,21 +161,6 @@ virtio_init_queue(struct virtio_dev *dev, uint16_t vtpci_queue_idx)
 	SPDK_DEBUGLOG(SPDK_LOG_VIRTIO_DEV, "vring_size: %u, rounded_vring_size: %u\n",
 		      size, vq->vq_ring_size);
 
-	queue_mem = spdk_dma_zmalloc(vq->vq_ring_size, VIRTIO_PCI_VRING_ALIGN, &queue_mem_phys_addr);
-	if (queue_mem == NULL) {
-		ret = -ENOMEM;
-		goto fail_q_alloc;
-	}
-
-	vq->vq_ring_mem = queue_mem_phys_addr;
-	vq->vq_ring_virt_mem = queue_mem;
-	SPDK_DEBUGLOG(SPDK_LOG_VIRTIO_DEV, "vq->vq_ring_mem:      0x%" PRIx64 "\n",
-		      vq->vq_ring_mem);
-	SPDK_DEBUGLOG(SPDK_LOG_VIRTIO_DEV, "vq->vq_ring_virt_mem: 0x%" PRIx64 "\n",
-		      (uint64_t)(uintptr_t)vq->vq_ring_virt_mem);
-
-	virtio_init_vring(vq);
-
 	vq->owner_thread = NULL;
 
 	if (virtio_dev_backend_ops(dev)->setup_queue(dev, vq) < 0) {
@@ -186,12 +168,13 @@ virtio_init_queue(struct virtio_dev *dev, uint16_t vtpci_queue_idx)
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
+	SPDK_DEBUGLOG(SPDK_LOG_VIRTIO_DEV, "vq->vq_ring_mem:      0x%" PRIx64 "\n",
+		      vq->vq_ring_mem);
+	SPDK_DEBUGLOG(SPDK_LOG_VIRTIO_DEV, "vq->vq_ring_virt_mem: 0x%" PRIx64 "\n",
+		      (uint64_t)(uintptr_t)vq->vq_ring_virt_mem);
+
+	virtio_init_vring(vq);
 	return 0;
-
-fail_q_alloc:
-	rte_free(vq);
-
-	return ret;
 }
 
 static void
@@ -212,7 +195,6 @@ virtio_free_queues(struct virtio_dev *dev)
 		}
 
 		virtio_dev_backend_ops(dev)->del_queue(dev, vq);
-		spdk_dma_free(vq->vq_ring_virt_mem);
 
 		rte_free(vq);
 		dev->vqs[i] = NULL;
diff --git a/lib/virtio/virtio_pci.c b/lib/virtio/virtio_pci.c
index 090a7b2ee..f73dd2225 100644
--- a/lib/virtio/virtio_pci.c
+++ b/lib/virtio/virtio_pci.c
@@ -261,6 +261,16 @@ modern_setup_queue(struct virtio_dev *dev, struct virtqueue *vq)
 	struct virtio_hw *hw = dev->ctx;
 	uint64_t desc_addr, avail_addr, used_addr;
 	uint16_t notify_off;
+	void *queue_mem;
+	uint64_t queue_mem_phys_addr;
+
+	queue_mem = spdk_dma_zmalloc(vq->vq_ring_size, VIRTIO_PCI_VRING_ALIGN, &queue_mem_phys_addr);
+	if (queue_mem == NULL) {
+		return -ENOMEM;
+	}
+
+	vq->vq_ring_mem = queue_mem_phys_addr;
+	vq->vq_ring_virt_mem = queue_mem;
 
 	if (!check_vq_phys_addr_ok(vq)) {
 		return -1;
@@ -311,6 +321,8 @@ modern_del_queue(struct virtio_dev *dev, struct virtqueue *vq)
 			   &hw->common_cfg->queue_used_hi);
 
 	spdk_mmio_write_2(&hw->common_cfg->queue_enable, 0);
+
+	spdk_dma_free(vq->vq_ring_virt_mem);
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/lib/virtio/virtio_user.c b/lib/virtio/virtio_user.c
index cc1b3a18d..80c6f0c13 100644
--- a/lib/virtio/virtio_user.c
+++ b/lib/virtio/virtio_user.c
@@ -356,6 +356,8 @@ virtio_user_setup_queue(struct virtio_dev *vdev, struct virtqueue *vq)
 	struct virtio_user_dev *dev = vdev->ctx;
 	struct vhost_vring_state state;
 	uint16_t queue_idx = vq->vq_queue_index;
+	void *queue_mem;
+	uint64_t queue_mem_phys_addr;
 	uint64_t desc_addr, avail_addr, used_addr;
 	int callfd;
 	int kickfd;
@@ -365,6 +367,14 @@ virtio_user_setup_queue(struct virtio_dev *vdev, struct virtqueue *vq)
 		return -1;
 	}
 
+	queue_mem = spdk_dma_zmalloc(vq->vq_ring_size, VIRTIO_PCI_VRING_ALIGN, &queue_mem_phys_addr);
+	if (queue_mem == NULL) {
+		return -ENOMEM;
+	}
+
+	vq->vq_ring_mem = queue_mem_phys_addr;
+	vq->vq_ring_virt_mem = queue_mem;
+
 	/* May use invalid flag, but some backend uses kickfd and
 	 * callfd as criteria to judge if dev is alive. so finally we
 	 * use real event_fd.
@@ -427,6 +437,8 @@ virtio_user_del_queue(struct virtio_dev *vdev, struct virtqueue *vq)
 	close(dev->kickfds[vq->vq_queue_index]);
 	dev->callfds[vq->vq_queue_index] = -1;
 	dev->kickfds[vq->vq_queue_index] = -1;
+
+	spdk_dma_free(vq->vq_ring_virt_mem);
 }
 
 static void