diff --git a/lib/vhost/task.c b/lib/vhost/task.c
index 5add31df7..4b1d64bb7 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/task.c
+++ b/lib/vhost/task.c
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 #include "spdk/env.h"
 #include "spdk/queue.h"
 #include "spdk/vhost.h"
+#include "vhost_internal.h"
 #include "task.h"
 
 static struct rte_mempool *g_task_pool;
@@ -56,7 +57,8 @@ spdk_vhost_task_free_cb(struct spdk_scsi_task *scsi_task)
 {
 	struct spdk_vhost_task *task = container_of(scsi_task, struct spdk_vhost_task, scsi);
 
-	spdk_vhost_dev_task_unref((struct spdk_vhost_dev *) task->svdev);
+	assert(((struct spdk_vhost_dev *) task->svdev)->task_cnt > 0);
+	((struct spdk_vhost_dev *) task->svdev)->task_cnt--;
 	rte_mempool_put(g_task_pool, task);
 }
 
@@ -74,7 +76,9 @@ spdk_vhost_task_get(struct spdk_vhost_scsi_dev *vdev, spdk_scsi_task_cpl cpl_fn)
 
 	memset(task, 0, sizeof(*task));
 	task->svdev = vdev;
-	spdk_vhost_dev_task_ref((struct spdk_vhost_dev *) task->svdev);
+
+	assert(((struct spdk_vhost_dev *) task->svdev)->task_cnt < INT_MAX);
+	((struct spdk_vhost_dev *) task->svdev)->task_cnt++;
 	spdk_scsi_task_construct(&task->scsi,
 				 cpl_fn,
 				 spdk_vhost_task_free_cb,
diff --git a/lib/vhost/task.h b/lib/vhost/task.h
index e38918792..57221c237 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/task.h
+++ b/lib/vhost/task.h
@@ -67,9 +67,6 @@ void spdk_vhost_task_put(struct spdk_vhost_task *task);
 struct spdk_vhost_task *spdk_vhost_task_get(struct spdk_vhost_scsi_dev *vdev,
 		spdk_scsi_task_cpl cpl_fn);
 
-void spdk_vhost_dev_task_ref(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev);
-void spdk_vhost_dev_task_unref(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev);
-
 void spdk_vhost_task_cpl(struct spdk_scsi_task *scsi_task);
 void spdk_vhost_task_mgmt_cpl(struct spdk_scsi_task *scsi_task);
 
diff --git a/lib/vhost/vhost.c b/lib/vhost/vhost.c
index e7f2da43b..f433836fa 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/vhost.c
+++ b/lib/vhost/vhost.c
@@ -222,20 +222,6 @@ spdk_vhost_dev_mem_unregister(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev)
 	}
 }
 
-void
-spdk_vhost_dev_task_ref(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev)
-{
-	assert(vdev->task_cnt < INT_MAX);
-	vdev->task_cnt++;
-}
-
-void
-spdk_vhost_dev_task_unref(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev)
-{
-	assert(vdev->task_cnt > 0);
-	vdev->task_cnt--;
-}
-
 static void
 spdk_vhost_free_reactor(uint32_t lcore)
 {