diff --git a/include/spdk/blob.h b/include/spdk/blob.h
index f63f8ee21..a6d87007c 100644
--- a/include/spdk/blob.h
+++ b/include/spdk/blob.h
@@ -1134,6 +1134,15 @@ void spdk_bs_set_bstype(struct spdk_blob_store *bs, struct spdk_bs_type bstype);
 void spdk_blob_set_esnap_bs_dev(struct spdk_blob *blob, struct spdk_bs_dev *back_bs_dev,
 				spdk_blob_op_complete cb_fn, void *cb_arg);
 
+/**
+ * Get the existing external snapshot device
+ *
+ * \param blob A blob that is an esnap clone
+ *
+ * \return NULL if the blob is not an esnap clone, else the current external snapshot device.
+ */
+struct spdk_bs_dev *spdk_blob_get_esnap_bs_dev(const struct spdk_blob *blob);
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/lib/blob/blobstore.c b/lib/blob/blobstore.c
index 00d122543..f8a2676ab 100644
--- a/lib/blob/blobstore.c
+++ b/lib/blob/blobstore.c
@@ -9104,5 +9104,16 @@ spdk_blob_set_esnap_bs_dev(struct spdk_blob *blob, struct spdk_bs_dev *back_bs_d
 	blob_freeze_io(blob, blob_frozen_destroy_esnap_channels, ctx);
 }
 
+struct spdk_bs_dev *
+spdk_blob_get_esnap_bs_dev(const struct spdk_blob *blob)
+{
+	if (!blob_is_esnap_clone(blob)) {
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("blob 0x%" PRIx64 ": not an esnap clone\n", blob->id);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	return blob->back_bs_dev;
+}
+
 SPDK_LOG_REGISTER_COMPONENT(blob)
 SPDK_LOG_REGISTER_COMPONENT(blob_esnap)
diff --git a/lib/blob/spdk_blob.map b/lib/blob/spdk_blob.map
index e49348687..175f5cdc8 100644
--- a/lib/blob/spdk_blob.map
+++ b/lib/blob/spdk_blob.map
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@
 	spdk_xattr_names_free;
 	spdk_bs_get_bstype;
 	spdk_bs_set_bstype;
+	spdk_blob_get_esnap_bs_dev;
 	spdk_blob_set_esnap_bs_dev;
 
 	local: *;
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/blob/blob.c/blob_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/blob/blob.c/blob_ut.c
index be15df100..bc26a487a 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/blob/blob.c/blob_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/blob/blob.c/blob_ut.c
@@ -8462,7 +8462,8 @@ blob_esnap_hotplug(void)
 	CU_ASSERT(g_bserrno == 0);
 	CU_ASSERT(destroyed1);
 	CU_ASSERT(!destroyed2);
-	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(blob->back_bs_dev != NULL);
+	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(bs_dev == blob->back_bs_dev);
+	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(bs_dev == spdk_blob_get_esnap_bs_dev(blob));
 	esnap_dev = (struct ut_esnap_dev *)blob->back_bs_dev;
 	CU_ASSERT(strcmp(esnap_dev->ut_opts.name, "esnap2") == 0);