diff --git a/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c b/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
index cc5e21652..fee38d083 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
@@ -52,8 +52,6 @@ SPDK_LOG_REGISTER_TRACE_FLAG("nvmf", SPDK_TRACE_NVMF)
 #define SPDK_NVMF_DEFAULT_IN_CAPSULE_DATA_SIZE 4096
 #define SPDK_NVMF_DEFAULT_MAX_IO_SIZE 131072
 
-struct spdk_nvmf_tgt g_nvmf_tgt;
-
 void
 spdk_nvmf_tgt_opts_init(struct spdk_nvmf_tgt_opts *opts)
 {
@@ -68,7 +66,10 @@ spdk_nvmf_tgt_create(struct spdk_nvmf_tgt_opts *opts)
 {
 	struct spdk_nvmf_tgt *tgt;
 
-	tgt = &g_nvmf_tgt;
+	tgt = calloc(1, sizeof(*tgt));
+	if (!tgt) {
+		return NULL;
+	}
 
 	if (!opts) {
 		spdk_nvmf_tgt_opts_init(&tgt->opts);
@@ -102,6 +103,11 @@ spdk_nvmf_tgt_destroy(struct spdk_nvmf_tgt *tgt)
 		TAILQ_REMOVE(&tgt->transports, transport, link);
 		spdk_nvmf_transport_destroy(transport);
 	}
+
+	if (tgt->discovery_log_page) {
+		free(tgt->discovery_log_page);
+	}
+	free(tgt);
 }
 
 int
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/nvmf_internal.h b/lib/nvmf/nvmf_internal.h
index 4683a5a4e..52af4ada2 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/nvmf_internal.h
+++ b/lib/nvmf/nvmf_internal.h
@@ -108,8 +108,6 @@ struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem {
 	TAILQ_ENTRY(spdk_nvmf_subsystem)	entries;
 };
 
-extern struct spdk_nvmf_tgt g_nvmf_tgt;
-
 uint16_t spdk_nvmf_tgt_gen_cntlid(struct spdk_nvmf_tgt *tgt);
 
 struct spdk_nvmf_transport *spdk_nvmf_tgt_get_transport(struct spdk_nvmf_tgt *tgt,
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/ctrlr.c/ctrlr_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/ctrlr.c/ctrlr_ut.c
index af53c51ba..fcd9d5b1a 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/ctrlr.c/ctrlr_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/ctrlr.c/ctrlr_ut.c
@@ -39,8 +39,6 @@
 
 SPDK_LOG_REGISTER_TRACE_FLAG("nvmf", SPDK_TRACE_NVMF)
 
-struct spdk_nvmf_tgt g_nvmf_tgt;
-
 struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *
 spdk_nvmf_tgt_find_subsystem(struct spdk_nvmf_tgt *tgt, const char *subnqn)
 {
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/ctrlr_discovery.c/ctrlr_discovery_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/ctrlr_discovery.c/ctrlr_discovery_ut.c
index 511f930a5..9b2c31c13 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/ctrlr_discovery.c/ctrlr_discovery_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/ctrlr_discovery.c/ctrlr_discovery_ut.c
@@ -39,10 +39,6 @@
 
 SPDK_LOG_REGISTER_TRACE_FLAG("nvmf", SPDK_TRACE_NVMF)
 
-struct spdk_nvmf_tgt g_nvmf_tgt = {
-	.subsystems = TAILQ_HEAD_INITIALIZER(g_nvmf_tgt.subsystems)
-};
-
 int
 spdk_bdev_open(struct spdk_bdev *bdev, bool write, spdk_bdev_remove_cb_t remove_cb,
 	       void *remove_ctx, struct spdk_bdev_desc **desc)
@@ -161,20 +157,17 @@ all_zero(const void *buf, size_t size)
 static void
 test_discovery_log(void)
 {
+	struct spdk_nvmf_tgt tgt = {};
 	struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *subsystem;
 	uint8_t buffer[8192];
 	struct spdk_nvmf_discovery_log_page *disc_log;
 	struct spdk_nvmf_discovery_log_page_entry *entry;
 	struct spdk_nvme_transport_id trid = {};
 
-	/* Reset discovery-related globals */
-	g_nvmf_tgt.discovery_genctr = 0;
-	free(g_nvmf_tgt.discovery_log_page);
-	g_nvmf_tgt.discovery_log_page = NULL;
-	g_nvmf_tgt.discovery_log_page_size = 0;
+	TAILQ_INIT(&tgt.subsystems);
 
 	/* Add one subsystem and verify that the discovery log contains it */
-	subsystem = spdk_nvmf_create_subsystem(&g_nvmf_tgt, "nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:subsystem1",
+	subsystem = spdk_nvmf_create_subsystem(&tgt, "nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:subsystem1",
 					       SPDK_NVMF_SUBTYPE_NVME, 0,
 					       NULL, NULL, NULL);
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(subsystem != NULL);
@@ -188,20 +181,20 @@ test_discovery_log(void)
 	/* Get only genctr (first field in the header) */
 	memset(buffer, 0xCC, sizeof(buffer));
 	disc_log = (struct spdk_nvmf_discovery_log_page *)buffer;
-	spdk_nvmf_get_discovery_log_page(&g_nvmf_tgt, buffer, 0, sizeof(disc_log->genctr));
+	spdk_nvmf_get_discovery_log_page(&tgt, buffer, 0, sizeof(disc_log->genctr));
 	CU_ASSERT(disc_log->genctr == 1); /* one added subsystem */
 
 	/* Get only the header, no entries */
 	memset(buffer, 0xCC, sizeof(buffer));
 	disc_log = (struct spdk_nvmf_discovery_log_page *)buffer;
-	spdk_nvmf_get_discovery_log_page(&g_nvmf_tgt, buffer, 0, sizeof(*disc_log));
+	spdk_nvmf_get_discovery_log_page(&tgt, buffer, 0, sizeof(*disc_log));
 	CU_ASSERT(disc_log->genctr == 1);
 	CU_ASSERT(disc_log->numrec == 1);
 
 	/* Offset 0, exact size match */
 	memset(buffer, 0xCC, sizeof(buffer));
 	disc_log = (struct spdk_nvmf_discovery_log_page *)buffer;
-	spdk_nvmf_get_discovery_log_page(&g_nvmf_tgt, buffer, 0,
+	spdk_nvmf_get_discovery_log_page(&tgt, buffer, 0,
 					 sizeof(*disc_log) + sizeof(disc_log->entries[0]));
 	CU_ASSERT(disc_log->genctr != 0);
 	CU_ASSERT(disc_log->numrec == 1);
@@ -210,7 +203,7 @@ test_discovery_log(void)
 	/* Offset 0, oversize buffer */
 	memset(buffer, 0xCC, sizeof(buffer));
 	disc_log = (struct spdk_nvmf_discovery_log_page *)buffer;
-	spdk_nvmf_get_discovery_log_page(&g_nvmf_tgt, buffer, 0, sizeof(buffer));
+	spdk_nvmf_get_discovery_log_page(&tgt, buffer, 0, sizeof(buffer));
 	CU_ASSERT(disc_log->genctr != 0);
 	CU_ASSERT(disc_log->numrec == 1);
 	CU_ASSERT(disc_log->entries[0].trtype == 42);
@@ -220,11 +213,12 @@ test_discovery_log(void)
 	/* Get just the first entry, no header */
 	memset(buffer, 0xCC, sizeof(buffer));
 	entry = (struct spdk_nvmf_discovery_log_page_entry *)buffer;
-	spdk_nvmf_get_discovery_log_page(&g_nvmf_tgt, buffer,
+	spdk_nvmf_get_discovery_log_page(&tgt, buffer,
 					 offsetof(struct spdk_nvmf_discovery_log_page, entries[0]),
 					 sizeof(*entry));
 	CU_ASSERT(entry->trtype == 42);
 	spdk_nvmf_delete_subsystem(subsystem);
+	free(tgt.discovery_log_page);
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char **argv)
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c/subsystem_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c/subsystem_ut.c
index 954ce7866..8ef25c418 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c/subsystem_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c/subsystem_ut.c
@@ -40,8 +40,6 @@
 
 SPDK_LOG_REGISTER_TRACE_FLAG("nvmf", SPDK_TRACE_NVMF)
 
-struct spdk_nvmf_tgt g_nvmf_tgt;
-
 int
 spdk_nvmf_subsystem_bdev_attach(struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *subsystem)
 {