diff --git a/include/spdk/nvmf_transport.h b/include/spdk/nvmf_transport.h
index ea93c14f3..0159c7d05 100644
--- a/include/spdk/nvmf_transport.h
+++ b/include/spdk/nvmf_transport.h
@@ -317,7 +317,8 @@ struct spdk_nvmf_transport_ops {
 	/**
 	 * Create a new poll group
 	 */
-	struct spdk_nvmf_transport_poll_group *(*poll_group_create)(struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport);
+	struct spdk_nvmf_transport_poll_group *(*poll_group_create)(struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport,
+			struct spdk_nvmf_poll_group *group);
 
 	/**
 	 * Get the polling group of the queue pair optimal for the specific transport
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/fc.c b/lib/nvmf/fc.c
index 9f42662eb..075b75995 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/fc.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/fc.c
@@ -2107,7 +2107,8 @@ nvmf_fc_discover(struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport,
 }
 
 static struct spdk_nvmf_transport_poll_group *
-nvmf_fc_poll_group_create(struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport)
+nvmf_fc_poll_group_create(struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport,
+			  struct spdk_nvmf_poll_group *group)
 {
 	struct spdk_nvmf_fc_poll_group *fgroup;
 	struct spdk_nvmf_fc_transport *ftransport =
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c b/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
index cc743d849..2a715c0d3 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
@@ -178,6 +178,10 @@ nvmf_tgt_create_poll_group(void *io_device, void *ctx_buf)
 	TAILQ_INIT(&group->qpairs);
 	group->thread = thread;
 
+	group->poller = SPDK_POLLER_REGISTER(nvmf_poll_group_poll, group, 0);
+
+	SPDK_DTRACE_PROBE1(nvmf_create_poll_group, spdk_thread_get_id(thread));
+
 	TAILQ_FOREACH(transport, &tgt->transports, link) {
 		rc = nvmf_poll_group_add_transport(group, transport);
 		if (rc != 0) {
@@ -211,10 +215,6 @@ nvmf_tgt_create_poll_group(void *io_device, void *ctx_buf)
 	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&tgt->poll_groups, group, link);
 	pthread_mutex_unlock(&tgt->mutex);
 
-	group->poller = SPDK_POLLER_REGISTER(nvmf_poll_group_poll, group, 0);
-
-	SPDK_DTRACE_PROBE1(nvmf_create_poll_group, spdk_thread_get_id(thread));
-
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -1184,7 +1184,7 @@ nvmf_poll_group_add_transport(struct spdk_nvmf_poll_group *group,
 		}
 	}
 
-	tgroup = nvmf_transport_poll_group_create(transport);
+	tgroup = nvmf_transport_poll_group_create(transport, group);
 	if (!tgroup) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("Unable to create poll group for transport\n");
 		return -1;
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/rdma.c b/lib/nvmf/rdma.c
index 8d383940f..bcb8ae363 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/rdma.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/rdma.c
@@ -3242,7 +3242,8 @@ static void
 nvmf_rdma_poll_group_destroy(struct spdk_nvmf_transport_poll_group *group);
 
 static struct spdk_nvmf_transport_poll_group *
-nvmf_rdma_poll_group_create(struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport)
+nvmf_rdma_poll_group_create(struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport,
+			    struct spdk_nvmf_poll_group *group)
 {
 	struct spdk_nvmf_rdma_transport		*rtransport;
 	struct spdk_nvmf_rdma_poll_group	*rgroup;
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/tcp.c b/lib/nvmf/tcp.c
index ebf47ba59..c45f011cd 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/tcp.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/tcp.c
@@ -1225,7 +1225,8 @@ nvmf_tcp_control_msg_list_free(struct spdk_nvmf_tcp_control_msg_list *list)
 }
 
 static struct spdk_nvmf_transport_poll_group *
-nvmf_tcp_poll_group_create(struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport)
+nvmf_tcp_poll_group_create(struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport,
+			   struct spdk_nvmf_poll_group *group)
 {
 	struct spdk_nvmf_tcp_transport	*ttransport;
 	struct spdk_nvmf_tcp_poll_group *tgroup;
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/transport.c b/lib/nvmf/transport.c
index 2cb389d95..eb3f2cfc9 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/transport.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/transport.c
@@ -464,53 +464,54 @@ nvmf_transport_listener_discover(struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport,
 }
 
 struct spdk_nvmf_transport_poll_group *
-nvmf_transport_poll_group_create(struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport)
+nvmf_transport_poll_group_create(struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport,
+				 struct spdk_nvmf_poll_group *group)
 {
-	struct spdk_nvmf_transport_poll_group *group;
+	struct spdk_nvmf_transport_poll_group *tgroup;
 	struct spdk_nvmf_transport_pg_cache_buf **bufs;
 	uint32_t i;
 
-	group = transport->ops->poll_group_create(transport);
-	if (!group) {
+	tgroup = transport->ops->poll_group_create(transport, group);
+	if (!tgroup) {
 		return NULL;
 	}
-	group->transport = transport;
+	tgroup->transport = transport;
 
-	STAILQ_INIT(&group->pending_buf_queue);
-	STAILQ_INIT(&group->buf_cache);
+	STAILQ_INIT(&tgroup->pending_buf_queue);
+	STAILQ_INIT(&tgroup->buf_cache);
 
 	if (transport->opts.buf_cache_size) {
-		group->buf_cache_size = transport->opts.buf_cache_size;
-		bufs = calloc(group->buf_cache_size, sizeof(struct spdk_nvmf_transport_pg_cache_buf *));
+		tgroup->buf_cache_size = transport->opts.buf_cache_size;
+		bufs = calloc(tgroup->buf_cache_size, sizeof(struct spdk_nvmf_transport_pg_cache_buf *));
 
 		if (!bufs) {
 			SPDK_ERRLOG("Memory allocation failed, can't reserve buffers for the pg buffer cache\n");
-			return group;
+			return tgroup;
 		}
 
-		if (spdk_mempool_get_bulk(transport->data_buf_pool, (void **)bufs, group->buf_cache_size)) {
-			group->buf_cache_size = (uint32_t)spdk_mempool_count(transport->data_buf_pool);
+		if (spdk_mempool_get_bulk(transport->data_buf_pool, (void **)bufs, tgroup->buf_cache_size)) {
+			tgroup->buf_cache_size = (uint32_t)spdk_mempool_count(transport->data_buf_pool);
 			SPDK_NOTICELOG("Unable to reserve the full number of buffers for the pg buffer cache. "
 				       "Decrease the number of cached buffers from %u to %u\n",
-				       transport->opts.buf_cache_size, group->buf_cache_size);
+				       transport->opts.buf_cache_size, tgroup->buf_cache_size);
 			/* Sanity check */
-			assert(group->buf_cache_size <= transport->opts.buf_cache_size);
+			assert(tgroup->buf_cache_size <= transport->opts.buf_cache_size);
 			/* Try again with less number of buffers */
-			if (spdk_mempool_get_bulk(transport->data_buf_pool, (void **)bufs, group->buf_cache_size)) {
-				SPDK_NOTICELOG("Failed to reserve %u buffers\n", group->buf_cache_size);
-				group->buf_cache_size = 0;
+			if (spdk_mempool_get_bulk(transport->data_buf_pool, (void **)bufs, tgroup->buf_cache_size)) {
+				SPDK_NOTICELOG("Failed to reserve %u buffers\n", tgroup->buf_cache_size);
+				tgroup->buf_cache_size = 0;
 			}
 		}
 
-		for (i = 0; i < group->buf_cache_size; i++) {
-			STAILQ_INSERT_HEAD(&group->buf_cache, bufs[i], link);
+		for (i = 0; i < tgroup->buf_cache_size; i++) {
+			STAILQ_INSERT_HEAD(&tgroup->buf_cache, bufs[i], link);
 		}
-		group->buf_cache_count = group->buf_cache_size;
+		tgroup->buf_cache_count = tgroup->buf_cache_size;
 
 		free(bufs);
 	}
 
-	return group;
+	return tgroup;
 }
 
 struct spdk_nvmf_transport_poll_group *
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/transport.h b/lib/nvmf/transport.h
index db119290b..c9cac3d5a 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/transport.h
+++ b/lib/nvmf/transport.h
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ void nvmf_transport_listener_discover(struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport,
 				      struct spdk_nvmf_discovery_log_page_entry *entry);
 
 struct spdk_nvmf_transport_poll_group *nvmf_transport_poll_group_create(
-	struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport);
+	struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport, struct spdk_nvmf_poll_group *group);
 struct spdk_nvmf_transport_poll_group *nvmf_transport_get_optimal_poll_group(
 	struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport, struct spdk_nvmf_qpair *qpair);
 
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/vfio_user.c b/lib/nvmf/vfio_user.c
index acd0c9f86..e6097eb30 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/vfio_user.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/vfio_user.c
@@ -3399,7 +3399,8 @@ nvmf_vfio_user_discover(struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport,
 { }
 
 static struct spdk_nvmf_transport_poll_group *
-nvmf_vfio_user_poll_group_create(struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport)
+nvmf_vfio_user_poll_group_create(struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport,
+				 struct spdk_nvmf_poll_group *group)
 {
 	struct nvmf_vfio_user_transport *vu_transport;
 	struct nvmf_vfio_user_poll_group *vu_group;
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c/nvmf_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c/nvmf_ut.c
index 05fa5f0b1..3969198e5 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c/nvmf_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c/nvmf_ut.c
@@ -45,7 +45,8 @@ DEFINE_STUB_V(nvmf_transport_qpair_fini, (struct spdk_nvmf_qpair *qpair,
 DEFINE_STUB_V(nvmf_qpair_free_aer, (struct spdk_nvmf_qpair *qpair));
 DEFINE_STUB_V(nvmf_qpair_abort_pending_zcopy_reqs, (struct spdk_nvmf_qpair *qpair));
 DEFINE_STUB(nvmf_transport_poll_group_create, struct spdk_nvmf_transport_poll_group *,
-	    (struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport), NULL);
+	    (struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport,
+	     struct spdk_nvmf_poll_group *group), NULL);
 DEFINE_STUB(spdk_bdev_get_io_channel, struct spdk_io_channel *, (struct spdk_bdev_desc *desc),
 	    NULL);
 DEFINE_STUB(nvmf_ctrlr_async_event_ns_notice, int, (struct spdk_nvmf_ctrlr *ctrlr), 0);
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/rdma.c/rdma_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/rdma.c/rdma_ut.c
index 6bb5589ea..85d1ce677 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/rdma.c/rdma_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/rdma.c/rdma_ut.c
@@ -817,7 +817,7 @@ test_nvmf_rdma_get_optimal_poll_group(void)
 	TAILQ_INIT(&rtransport.poll_groups);
 
 	for (i = 0; i < TEST_GROUPS_COUNT; i++) {
-		groups[i] = nvmf_rdma_poll_group_create(transport);
+		groups[i] = nvmf_rdma_poll_group_create(transport, NULL);
 		CU_ASSERT(groups[i] != NULL);
 		rgroups[i] = SPDK_CONTAINEROF(groups[i], struct spdk_nvmf_rdma_poll_group, group);
 		groups[i]->transport = transport;
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/tcp.c/tcp_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/tcp.c/tcp_ut.c
index f2fe5325a..3b8068886 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/tcp.c/tcp_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/tcp.c/tcp_ut.c
@@ -514,7 +514,7 @@ test_nvmf_tcp_poll_group_create(void)
 	CU_ASSERT_PTR_NOT_NULL(transport);
 	transport->opts = opts;
 	MOCK_SET(spdk_sock_group_create, &grp);
-	group = nvmf_tcp_poll_group_create(transport);
+	group = nvmf_tcp_poll_group_create(transport, NULL);
 	MOCK_CLEAR_P(spdk_sock_group_create);
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(group);
 	if (opts.in_capsule_data_size < SPDK_NVME_TCP_IN_CAPSULE_DATA_MAX_SIZE) {
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/transport.c/transport_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/transport.c/transport_ut.c
index f1f1e67d2..41f4389bc 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/transport.c/transport_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/transport.c/transport_ut.c
@@ -176,13 +176,14 @@ test_spdk_nvmf_transport_create(void)
 }
 
 static struct spdk_nvmf_transport_poll_group *
-ut_poll_group_create(struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport)
+ut_poll_group_create(struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport,
+		     struct spdk_nvmf_poll_group *group)
 {
-	struct spdk_nvmf_transport_poll_group *group;
+	struct spdk_nvmf_transport_poll_group *tgroup;
 
-	group = calloc(1, sizeof(*group));
-	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(group != NULL);
-	return group;
+	tgroup = calloc(1, sizeof(*tgroup));
+	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(tgroup != NULL);
+	return tgroup;
 }
 
 static void
@@ -204,7 +205,7 @@ test_nvmf_transport_poll_group_create(void)
 	transport.opts.buf_cache_size = SPDK_NVMF_DEFAULT_BUFFER_CACHE_SIZE;
 	transport.data_buf_pool = spdk_mempool_create("buf_pool", 32, 4096, 0, 0);
 
-	poll_group = nvmf_transport_poll_group_create(&transport);
+	poll_group = nvmf_transport_poll_group_create(&transport, NULL);
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(poll_group != NULL);
 	CU_ASSERT(poll_group->transport == &transport);
 	CU_ASSERT(poll_group->buf_cache_size == SPDK_NVMF_DEFAULT_BUFFER_CACHE_SIZE);
@@ -216,7 +217,7 @@ test_nvmf_transport_poll_group_create(void)
 	/* Mempool members insufficient */
 	transport.data_buf_pool = spdk_mempool_create("buf_pool", 31, 4096, 0, 0);
 
-	poll_group = nvmf_transport_poll_group_create(&transport);
+	poll_group = nvmf_transport_poll_group_create(&transport, NULL);
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(poll_group != NULL);
 	CU_ASSERT(poll_group->transport == &transport);
 	CU_ASSERT(poll_group->buf_cache_size == 31);