diff --git a/autotest.sh b/autotest.sh
index 3a7cce26a..a064a3468 100755
--- a/autotest.sh
+++ b/autotest.sh
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@ fi
 if [ $(uname -s) = Linux ]; then
 	# set core_pattern to a known value to avoid ABRT, systemd-coredump, etc.
 	echo "core" > /proc/sys/kernel/core_pattern
+
+	# make sure nbd (network block device) driver is loaded if it is available
+	# this ensures that when tests need to use nbd, it will be fully initialized
+	modprobe nbd || true
 fi
 
 trap "process_core; autotest_cleanup; exit 1" SIGINT SIGTERM EXIT
diff --git a/test/bdev/nbdjson/json_config.sh b/test/bdev/nbdjson/json_config.sh
index ed4a06e89..062d12038 100755
--- a/test/bdev/nbdjson/json_config.sh
+++ b/test/bdev/nbdjson/json_config.sh
@@ -25,6 +25,5 @@ timing_exit nbd_json_config_test
 
 $clear_config_py clear_config
 kill_targets
-rmmod nbd
 timing_exit nbd_json_config
 report_test_completion nbd_json_config
diff --git a/test/lvol/lvol.sh b/test/lvol/lvol.sh
index 29e3f0ff9..9724d0cb5 100755
--- a/test/lvol/lvol.sh
+++ b/test/lvol/lvol.sh
@@ -122,7 +122,6 @@ function vhost_kill()
         sleep 1
     fi
     rm $BASE_DIR/vhost.pid || true
-    rmmod nbd || true
 }
 
 trap "vhost_kill; rm -f $BASE_DIR/aio_bdev_0 $BASE_DIR/aio_bdev_1; exit 1" SIGINT SIGTERM EXIT
diff --git a/test/vhost/vhost_boot/vhost_boot.sh b/test/vhost/vhost_boot/vhost_boot.sh
index 79bfd81df..4ec480afd 100755
--- a/test/vhost/vhost_boot/vhost_boot.sh
+++ b/test/vhost/vhost_boot/vhost_boot.sh
@@ -68,13 +68,12 @@ timing_exit create_lvol
 
 timing_enter convert_vm_image
 modprobe nbd
-trap 'nbd_stop_disks $(get_vhost_dir)/rpc.sock /dev/nbd0; rmmod nbd; err_clean "${FUNCNAME}" "${LINENO}"' ERR
+trap 'nbd_stop_disks $(get_vhost_dir)/rpc.sock /dev/nbd0; err_clean "${FUNCNAME}" "${LINENO}"' ERR
 nbd_start_disks "$(get_vhost_dir)/rpc.sock" $lvb_u /dev/nbd0
 $QEMU_PREFIX/bin/qemu-img convert $os_image -O raw /dev/nbd0
 sync
 nbd_stop_disks $(get_vhost_dir)/rpc.sock /dev/nbd0
 sleep 1
-rmmod nbd
 timing_exit convert_vm_image
 
 trap 'err_clean "${FUNCNAME}" "${LINENO}"' ERR