diff --git a/lib/iscsi/conn.c b/lib/iscsi/conn.c
index 8d0dc7368..7adbe876b 100644
--- a/lib/iscsi/conn.c
+++ b/lib/iscsi/conn.c
@@ -197,6 +197,14 @@ iscsi_poll_group_remove_conn(struct spdk_iscsi_poll_group *pg, struct spdk_iscsi
 	STAILQ_REMOVE(&pg->connections, conn, spdk_iscsi_conn, link);
 }
 
+static void
+iscsi_conn_start(void *ctx)
+{
+	struct spdk_iscsi_conn *conn = ctx;
+
+	iscsi_poll_group_add_conn(conn->pg, conn);
+}
+
 int
 spdk_iscsi_conn_construct(struct spdk_iscsi_portal *portal,
 			  struct spdk_sock *sock)
@@ -284,13 +292,17 @@ spdk_iscsi_conn_construct(struct spdk_iscsi_portal *portal,
 	SPDK_DEBUGLOG(SPDK_LOG_ISCSI, "Launching connection on acceptor thread\n");
 	conn->pending_task_cnt = 0;
 
-	/* Get the acceptor poll group */
-	pg = portal->acceptor_pg;
-
-	assert(spdk_io_channel_get_thread(spdk_io_channel_from_ctx(pg)) == spdk_get_thread());
+	/* Get the first poll group. */
+	pg = TAILQ_FIRST(&g_spdk_iscsi.poll_group_head);
+	if (pg == NULL) {
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("There is no poll group.\n");
+		assert(false);
+		goto error_return;
+	}
 
 	conn->pg = pg;
-	iscsi_poll_group_add_conn(pg, conn);
+	spdk_thread_send_msg(spdk_io_channel_get_thread(spdk_io_channel_from_ctx(pg)),
+			     iscsi_conn_start, conn);
 	return 0;
 
 error_return:
diff --git a/lib/iscsi/portal_grp.c b/lib/iscsi/portal_grp.c
index 798292b51..4ece6c07d 100644
--- a/lib/iscsi/portal_grp.c
+++ b/lib/iscsi/portal_grp.c
@@ -82,30 +82,6 @@ iscsi_portal_accept(void *arg)
 	return count;
 }
 
-static void
-iscsi_acceptor_start(struct spdk_iscsi_portal *p)
-{
-	struct spdk_io_channel *ch;
-
-	p->acceptor_poller = spdk_poller_register(iscsi_portal_accept, p, ACCEPT_TIMEOUT_US);
-
-	ch = spdk_get_io_channel(&g_spdk_iscsi);
-	assert(ch != NULL);
-	p->acceptor_pg = spdk_io_channel_get_ctx(ch);
-}
-
-static void
-iscsi_acceptor_stop(struct spdk_iscsi_portal *p)
-{
-	struct spdk_io_channel *ch;
-
-	spdk_poller_unregister(&p->acceptor_poller);
-
-	assert(p->acceptor_pg != NULL);
-	ch = spdk_io_channel_from_ctx(p->acceptor_pg);
-	spdk_put_io_channel(ch);
-}
-
 static struct spdk_iscsi_portal *
 iscsi_portal_find_by_addr(const char *host, const char *port)
 {
@@ -222,7 +198,7 @@ iscsi_portal_open(struct spdk_iscsi_portal *p)
 	 * the requests will be queued by the nonzero backlog of the socket
 	 * or resend by TCP.
 	 */
-	iscsi_acceptor_start(p);
+	p->acceptor_poller = spdk_poller_register(iscsi_portal_accept, p, ACCEPT_TIMEOUT_US);
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -233,7 +209,7 @@ iscsi_portal_close(struct spdk_iscsi_portal *p)
 	if (p->sock) {
 		SPDK_DEBUGLOG(SPDK_LOG_ISCSI, "close portal (%s, %s)\n",
 			      p->host, p->port);
-		iscsi_acceptor_stop(p);
+		spdk_poller_unregister(&p->acceptor_poller);
 		spdk_sock_close(&p->sock);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/lib/iscsi/portal_grp.h b/lib/iscsi/portal_grp.h
index fe3242125..fd629c8db 100644
--- a/lib/iscsi/portal_grp.h
+++ b/lib/iscsi/portal_grp.h
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ struct spdk_iscsi_portal {
 	char				port[MAX_PORTAL_PORT + 1];
 	struct spdk_sock		*sock;
 	struct spdk_poller		*acceptor_poller;
-	struct spdk_iscsi_poll_group	*acceptor_pg;
 	TAILQ_ENTRY(spdk_iscsi_portal)	per_pg_tailq;
 	TAILQ_ENTRY(spdk_iscsi_portal)	g_tailq;
 };
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/iscsi/portal_grp.c/portal_grp_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/iscsi/portal_grp.c/portal_grp_ut.c
index b9e943989..9705c0957 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/iscsi/portal_grp.c/portal_grp_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/iscsi/portal_grp.c/portal_grp_ut.c
@@ -280,17 +280,6 @@ portal_grp_register_twice_case(void)
 	CU_ASSERT(TAILQ_EMPTY(&g_spdk_iscsi.portal_head));
 }
 
-static int
-ut_poll_group_create(void *io_device, void *ctx_buf)
-{
-	return 0;
-}
-
-static void
-ut_poll_group_destroy(void *io_device, void *ctx_buf)
-{
-}
-
 static void
 portal_grp_add_delete_case(void)
 {
@@ -305,9 +294,6 @@ portal_grp_add_delete_case(void)
 	allocate_threads(1);
 	set_thread(0);
 
-	spdk_io_device_register(&g_spdk_iscsi, ut_poll_group_create, ut_poll_group_destroy,
-				sizeof(struct spdk_iscsi_poll_group), "ut_portal_grp");
-
 	/* internal of iscsi_create_portal_group */
 	pg1 = spdk_iscsi_portal_grp_create(1);
 	CU_ASSERT(pg1 != NULL);
@@ -337,8 +323,6 @@ portal_grp_add_delete_case(void)
 	CU_ASSERT(TAILQ_EMPTY(&g_spdk_iscsi.portal_head));
 	CU_ASSERT(TAILQ_EMPTY(&g_spdk_iscsi.pg_head));
 
-	spdk_io_device_unregister(&g_spdk_iscsi, NULL);
-
 	free_threads();
 }
 
@@ -356,9 +340,6 @@ portal_grp_add_delete_twice_case(void)
 	allocate_threads(1);
 	set_thread(0);
 
-	spdk_io_device_register(&g_spdk_iscsi, ut_poll_group_create, ut_poll_group_destroy,
-				sizeof(struct spdk_iscsi_poll_group), "ut_portal_grp");
-
 	/* internal of iscsi_create_portal_group related */
 	pg1 = spdk_iscsi_portal_grp_create(1);
 	CU_ASSERT(pg1 != NULL);
@@ -403,8 +384,6 @@ portal_grp_add_delete_twice_case(void)
 
 	MOCK_CLEAR_P(spdk_sock_listen);
 
-	spdk_io_device_unregister(&g_spdk_iscsi, NULL);
-
 	free_threads();
 }