diff --git a/include/spdk/bdev_module.h b/include/spdk/bdev_module.h
index fcec8a7e0..6d0c2210f 100644
--- a/include/spdk/bdev_module.h
+++ b/include/spdk/bdev_module.h
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /*   SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
  *   Copyright (C) 2016 Intel Corporation.
  *   All rights reserved.
- *   Copyright (c) 2021-2022, NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
+ *   Copyright (c) 2021-2023 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
  */
 
 /** \file
@@ -161,6 +161,17 @@ struct spdk_bdev_module {
 	} internal;
 };
 
+/** Claim types */
+enum spdk_bdev_claim_type {
+	/* Not claimed. Must not be used to request a claim. */
+	SPDK_BDEV_CLAIM_NONE = 0,
+
+	/**
+	 * Exclusive writer.
+	 */
+	SPDK_BDEV_CLAIM_EXCL_WRITE
+};
+
 /**
  * Called by a bdev module to lay exclusive claim to a bdev.
  *
@@ -522,6 +533,12 @@ struct spdk_bdev {
 		/** The bdev status */
 		enum spdk_bdev_status status;
 
+		/**
+		 * The claim type: used in conjunction with claim. Must hold spinlock on all
+		 * updates.
+		 */
+		enum spdk_bdev_claim_type claim_type;
+
 		/** Which module has claimed this bdev. Must hold spinlock on all updates. */
 		union __bdev_internal_claim {
 			struct __bdev_internal_claim_v1 {
diff --git a/lib/bdev/bdev.c b/lib/bdev/bdev.c
index 83bc61395..8a1c7dbc8 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/bdev.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/bdev.c
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /*   SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
  *   Copyright (C) 2016 Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.
  *   Copyright (c) 2019 Mellanox Technologies LTD. All rights reserved.
- *   Copyright (c) 2021, 2022 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
+ *   Copyright (c) 2021-2023 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
  */
 
 #include "spdk/stdinc.h"
@@ -664,8 +664,8 @@ bdev_examine(struct spdk_bdev *bdev)
 		}
 	}
 
-	module = bdev->internal.claim.v1.module;
-	if (module != NULL) {
+	if (bdev->internal.claim_type != SPDK_BDEV_CLAIM_NONE) {
+		module = bdev->internal.claim.v1.module;
 		if (module->examine_disk) {
 			spdk_spin_lock(&module->internal.spinlock);
 			module->internal.action_in_progress++;
@@ -767,7 +767,7 @@ static struct spdk_bdev *
 _bdev_next_leaf(struct spdk_bdev *bdev)
 {
 	while (bdev != NULL) {
-		if (bdev->internal.claim.v1.module == NULL) {
+		if (bdev->internal.claim_type == SPDK_BDEV_CLAIM_NONE) {
 			return bdev;
 		} else {
 			bdev = TAILQ_NEXT(bdev, internal.link);
@@ -1823,7 +1823,7 @@ bdev_finish_unregister_bdevs_iter(void *cb_arg, int bdeverrno)
 	for (bdev = TAILQ_LAST(&g_bdev_mgr.bdevs, spdk_bdev_list);
 	     bdev; bdev = TAILQ_PREV(bdev, spdk_bdev_list, internal.link)) {
 		spdk_spin_lock(&bdev->internal.spinlock);
-		if (bdev->internal.claim.v1.module != NULL) {
+		if (bdev->internal.claim_type != SPDK_BDEV_CLAIM_NONE) {
 			SPDK_DEBUGLOG(bdev, "Skipping claimed bdev '%s'(<-'%s').\n",
 				      bdev->name, bdev->internal.claim.v1.module->name);
 			spdk_spin_unlock(&bdev->internal.spinlock);
@@ -6724,7 +6724,8 @@ bdev_register(struct spdk_bdev *bdev)
 
 	bdev->internal.status = SPDK_BDEV_STATUS_READY;
 	bdev->internal.measured_queue_depth = UINT64_MAX;
-	bdev->internal.claim.v1.module = NULL;
+	bdev->internal.claim_type = SPDK_BDEV_CLAIM_NONE;
+	memset(&bdev->internal.claim, 0, sizeof(bdev->internal.claim));
 	bdev->internal.qd_poller = NULL;
 	bdev->internal.qos = NULL;
 
@@ -7056,7 +7057,7 @@ bdev_open(struct spdk_bdev *bdev, bool write, struct spdk_bdev_desc *desc)
 		return -ENODEV;
 	}
 
-	if (write && bdev->internal.claim.v1.module) {
+	if (write && bdev->internal.claim_type != SPDK_BDEV_CLAIM_NONE) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("Could not open %s - %s module already claimed it\n",
 			    bdev->name, bdev->internal.claim.v1.module->name);
 		spdk_spin_unlock(&bdev->internal.spinlock);
@@ -7285,7 +7286,7 @@ spdk_bdev_module_claim_bdev(struct spdk_bdev *bdev, struct spdk_bdev_desc *desc,
 {
 	spdk_spin_lock(&bdev->internal.spinlock);
 
-	if (bdev->internal.claim.v1.module != NULL) {
+	if (bdev->internal.claim_type != SPDK_BDEV_CLAIM_NONE) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("bdev %s already claimed by module %s\n", bdev->name,
 			    bdev->internal.claim.v1.module->name);
 		spdk_spin_unlock(&bdev->internal.spinlock);
@@ -7296,6 +7297,7 @@ spdk_bdev_module_claim_bdev(struct spdk_bdev *bdev, struct spdk_bdev_desc *desc,
 		desc->write = true;
 	}
 
+	bdev->internal.claim_type = SPDK_BDEV_CLAIM_EXCL_WRITE;
 	bdev->internal.claim.v1.module = module;
 
 	spdk_spin_unlock(&bdev->internal.spinlock);
@@ -7308,6 +7310,8 @@ spdk_bdev_module_release_bdev(struct spdk_bdev *bdev)
 	spdk_spin_lock(&bdev->internal.spinlock);
 
 	assert(bdev->internal.claim.v1.module != NULL);
+	assert(bdev->internal.claim_type == SPDK_BDEV_CLAIM_EXCL_WRITE);
+	bdev->internal.claim_type = SPDK_BDEV_CLAIM_NONE;
 	bdev->internal.claim.v1.module = NULL;
 
 	spdk_spin_unlock(&bdev->internal.spinlock);
diff --git a/lib/bdev/bdev_rpc.c b/lib/bdev/bdev_rpc.c
index 3c265aca1..ef90d629f 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/bdev_rpc.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/bdev_rpc.c
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 /*   SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
  *   Copyright (C) 2018 Intel Corporation.
  *   All rights reserved.
+ *   Copyright (c) 2022-2023 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
  */
 
 #include "spdk/bdev.h"
@@ -710,7 +711,8 @@ rpc_dump_bdev_info(void *ctx, struct spdk_bdev *bdev)
 	}
 	spdk_json_write_object_end(w);
 
-	spdk_json_write_named_bool(w, "claimed", (bdev->internal.claim.v1.module != NULL));
+	spdk_json_write_named_bool(w, "claimed",
+				   (bdev->internal.claim_type != SPDK_BDEV_CLAIM_NONE));
 
 	spdk_json_write_named_bool(w, "zoned", bdev->zoned);
 	if (bdev->zoned) {
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/bdev/bdev.c/bdev_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/bdev/bdev.c/bdev_ut.c
index 066b812d8..25bd02f2a 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/bdev/bdev.c/bdev_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/bdev/bdev.c/bdev_ut.c
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /*   SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
  *   Copyright (C) 2017 Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.
  *   Copyright (c) 2019 Mellanox Technologies LTD. All rights reserved.
- *   Copyright (c) 2021-2022, NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
+ *   Copyright (c) 2021-2023 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
  */
 
 #include "spdk_cunit.h"
@@ -837,6 +837,7 @@ claim_test(void)
 
 	rc = spdk_bdev_module_claim_bdev(bdev, NULL, &bdev_ut_if);
 	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
+	CU_ASSERT(bdev->internal.claim_type == SPDK_BDEV_CLAIM_EXCL_WRITE);
 	CU_ASSERT(bdev->internal.claim.v1.module == &bdev_ut_if);
 
 	/* There should be only one open descriptor and it should still be ro */
@@ -852,6 +853,7 @@ claim_test(void)
 	spdk_bdev_module_release_bdev(bdev);
 	rc = spdk_bdev_module_claim_bdev(bdev, desc, &bdev_ut_if);
 	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
+	CU_ASSERT(bdev->internal.claim_type == SPDK_BDEV_CLAIM_EXCL_WRITE);
 	CU_ASSERT(bdev->internal.claim.v1.module == &bdev_ut_if);
 
 	/* There should be only one open descriptor and it should be rw */
@@ -6241,6 +6243,7 @@ examine_locks(void)
 	bdev = allocate_bdev_ctx("bdev0", &ctx);
 	CU_ASSERT(ctx.examine_config_count == 1);
 	CU_ASSERT(ctx.examine_disk_count == 1);
+	CU_ASSERT(bdev->internal.claim_type == SPDK_BDEV_CLAIM_NONE);
 	CU_ASSERT(bdev->internal.claim.v1.module == NULL);
 	free_bdev(bdev);
 
@@ -6251,8 +6254,10 @@ examine_locks(void)
 	bdev = allocate_bdev_ctx("bdev0", &ctx);
 	CU_ASSERT(ctx.examine_config_count == 1);
 	CU_ASSERT(ctx.examine_disk_count == 1);
+	CU_ASSERT(bdev->internal.claim_type == SPDK_BDEV_CLAIM_EXCL_WRITE);
 	CU_ASSERT(bdev->internal.claim.v1.module == &vbdev_ut_if);
 	spdk_bdev_module_release_bdev(bdev);
+	CU_ASSERT(bdev->internal.claim_type == SPDK_BDEV_CLAIM_NONE);
 	CU_ASSERT(bdev->internal.claim.v1.module == NULL);
 	free_bdev(bdev);
 }
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/bdev/raid/bdev_raid.c/bdev_raid_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/bdev/raid/bdev_raid.c/bdev_raid_ut.c
index 2ac5d2c06..fade64e0b 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/bdev/raid/bdev_raid.c/bdev_raid_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/bdev/raid/bdev_raid.c/bdev_raid_ut.c
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /*   SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
  *   Copyright (C) 2018 Intel Corporation.
  *   All rights reserved.
- *   Copyright (c) 2022, NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
+ *   Copyright (c) 2022-2023 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
  */
 
 #include "spdk/stdinc.h"
@@ -478,7 +478,9 @@ spdk_bdev_readv_blocks_ext(struct spdk_bdev_desc *desc, struct spdk_io_channel *
 void
 spdk_bdev_module_release_bdev(struct spdk_bdev *bdev)
 {
+	CU_ASSERT(bdev->internal.claim_type == SPDK_BDEV_CLAIM_EXCL_WRITE);
 	CU_ASSERT(bdev->internal.claim.v1.module != NULL);
+	bdev->internal.claim_type = SPDK_BDEV_CLAIM_NONE;
 	bdev->internal.claim.v1.module = NULL;
 }
 
@@ -486,9 +488,12 @@ int
 spdk_bdev_module_claim_bdev(struct spdk_bdev *bdev, struct spdk_bdev_desc *desc,
 			    struct spdk_bdev_module *module)
 {
-	if (bdev->internal.claim.v1.module != NULL) {
+	if (bdev->internal.claim_type != SPDK_BDEV_CLAIM_NONE) {
+		CU_ASSERT(bdev->internal.claim.v1.module != NULL);
 		return -1;
 	}
+	CU_ASSERT(bdev->internal.claim.v1.module == NULL);
+	bdev->internal.claim_type = SPDK_BDEV_CLAIM_EXCL_WRITE;
 	bdev->internal.claim.v1.module = module;
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/bdev/vbdev_zone_block.c/vbdev_zone_block_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/bdev/vbdev_zone_block.c/vbdev_zone_block_ut.c
index fcd580a71..11c7e532c 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/bdev/vbdev_zone_block.c/vbdev_zone_block_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/bdev/vbdev_zone_block.c/vbdev_zone_block_ut.c
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 /*   SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
  *   Copyright (C) 2019 Intel Corporation.
  *   All rights reserved.
+ *   Copyright (c) 2022-2023 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
  */
 
 #include "spdk/stdinc.h"
@@ -184,9 +185,12 @@ int
 spdk_bdev_module_claim_bdev(struct spdk_bdev *bdev, struct spdk_bdev_desc *desc,
 			    struct spdk_bdev_module *module)
 {
-	if (bdev->internal.claim.v1.module != NULL) {
+	if (bdev->internal.claim_type != SPDK_BDEV_CLAIM_NONE) {
+		CU_ASSERT(bdev->internal.claim.v1.module != NULL);
 		return -1;
 	}
+	CU_ASSERT(bdev->internal.claim.v1.module == NULL);
+	bdev->internal.claim_type = SPDK_BDEV_CLAIM_EXCL_WRITE;
 	bdev->internal.claim.v1.module = module;
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -194,7 +198,9 @@ spdk_bdev_module_claim_bdev(struct spdk_bdev *bdev, struct spdk_bdev_desc *desc,
 void
 spdk_bdev_module_release_bdev(struct spdk_bdev *bdev)
 {
+	CU_ASSERT(bdev->internal.claim_type == SPDK_BDEV_CLAIM_EXCL_WRITE);
 	CU_ASSERT(bdev->internal.claim.v1.module != NULL);
+	bdev->internal.claim_type = SPDK_BDEV_CLAIM_NONE;
 	bdev->internal.claim.v1.module = NULL;
 }