diff --git a/lib/thread/thread.c b/lib/thread/thread.c
index ed00407d5..a336bb44f 100644
--- a/lib/thread/thread.c
+++ b/lib/thread/thread.c
@@ -1098,6 +1098,7 @@ poller_register(spdk_poller_fn fn,
 	if (thread->interrupt_mode && period_microseconds != 0) {
 		int rc;
 
+		poller->timerfd = -1;
 		rc = thread_interrupt_register_timerfd(thread->fgrp, period_microseconds, poller);
 		if (rc < 0) {
 			SPDK_ERRLOG("Failed to register timerfd for periodic poller: %s\n", spdk_strerror(-rc));
@@ -1154,10 +1155,10 @@ spdk_poller_unregister(struct spdk_poller **ppoller)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	if (thread->interrupt_mode && poller->timerfd) {
+	if (thread->interrupt_mode && poller->timerfd >= 0) {
 		spdk_fd_group_remove(thread->fgrp, poller->timerfd);
 		close(poller->timerfd);
-		poller->timerfd = 0;
+		poller->timerfd = -1;
 	}
 
 	/* If the poller was paused, put it on the active_pollers list so that
@@ -1825,12 +1826,13 @@ thread_interrupt_destroy(struct spdk_thread *thread)
 
 	SPDK_INFOLOG(thread, "destroy fgrp for thread (%s)\n", thread->name);
 
-	if (thread->msg_fd <= 0) {
+	if (thread->msg_fd < 0) {
 		return;
 	}
 
 	spdk_fd_group_remove(fgrp, thread->msg_fd);
 	close(thread->msg_fd);
+	thread->msg_fd = -1;
 
 	spdk_fd_group_destroy(fgrp);
 	thread->fgrp = NULL;
diff --git a/lib/util/fd_group.c b/lib/util/fd_group.c
index c16e3d66c..d3f910467 100644
--- a/lib/util/fd_group.c
+++ b/lib/util/fd_group.c
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ spdk_fd_group_add(struct spdk_fd_group *fgrp,
 	int rc;
 
 	/* parameter checking */
-	if (fgrp == NULL || efd <= 0 || fn == NULL) {
+	if (fgrp == NULL || efd < 0 || fn == NULL) {
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ spdk_fd_group_remove(struct spdk_fd_group *fgrp, int efd)
 	struct event_handler *ehdlr;
 	int rc;
 
-	if (fgrp == NULL || efd <= 0) {
+	if (fgrp == NULL || efd < 0) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("Invalid to remvoe efd(%d) from fd_group(%p).\n", efd, fgrp);
 		assert(0);
 		return;
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ spdk_fd_group_event_modify(struct spdk_fd_group *fgrp,
 	struct epoll_event epevent;
 	struct event_handler *ehdlr;
 
-	if (fgrp == NULL || efd <= 0) {
+	if (fgrp == NULL || efd < 0) {
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}