diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme.c b/lib/nvme/nvme.c
index b6500c926..afbaaf708 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme.c
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ nvme_ctrlr_probe(const struct spdk_nvme_transport_id *trid, void *devhandle,
 	struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr;
 	struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr_opts opts;
 
-	spdk_nvme_ctrlr_opts_set_defaults(&opts);
+	spdk_nvme_ctrlr_opts_set_defaults(&opts, sizeof(opts));
 
 	if (probe_cb(cb_ctx, trid, &opts)) {
 		ctrlr = nvme_transport_ctrlr_construct(trid, &opts, devhandle);
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
index 04209a15a..804fb3c9f 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
@@ -78,23 +78,63 @@ nvme_ctrlr_set_cc(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, const union spdk_nvme_cc_regist
 }
 
 void
-spdk_nvme_ctrlr_opts_set_defaults(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr_opts *opts)
+spdk_nvme_ctrlr_opts_set_defaults(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr_opts *opts, size_t opts_size)
 {
 	char host_id_str[37];
 
-	opts->num_io_queues = DEFAULT_MAX_IO_QUEUES;
-	opts->use_cmb_sqs = true;
-	opts->arb_mechanism = SPDK_NVME_CC_AMS_RR;
-	opts->keep_alive_timeout_ms = 10 * 1000;
-	opts->io_queue_size = DEFAULT_IO_QUEUE_SIZE;
-	opts->io_queue_requests = DEFAULT_IO_QUEUE_REQUESTS;
-	memset(opts->src_addr, 0, sizeof(opts->src_addr));
-	memset(opts->src_svcid, 0, sizeof(opts->src_svcid));
-	memset(opts->host_id, 0, sizeof(opts->host_id));
-	memcpy(opts->extended_host_id, g_spdk_nvme_driver->default_extended_host_id,
-	       sizeof(opts->extended_host_id));
-	uuid_unparse(opts->extended_host_id, host_id_str);
-	snprintf(opts->hostnqn, sizeof(opts->hostnqn), "2014-08.org.nvmexpress:uuid:%s", host_id_str);
+	assert(opts);
+
+	memset(opts, 0, opts_size);
+
+#define FIELD_OK(field) \
+	offsetof(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr_opts, field) + sizeof(opts->field) <= opts_size
+
+	if (FIELD_OK(num_io_queues)) {
+		opts->num_io_queues = DEFAULT_MAX_IO_QUEUES;
+	}
+
+	if (FIELD_OK(use_cmb_sqs)) {
+		opts->use_cmb_sqs = true;
+	}
+
+	if (FIELD_OK(arb_mechanism)) {
+		opts->arb_mechanism = SPDK_NVME_CC_AMS_RR;
+	}
+
+	if (FIELD_OK(keep_alive_timeout_ms)) {
+		opts->keep_alive_timeout_ms = 10 * 1000;
+	}
+
+	if (FIELD_OK(io_queue_size)) {
+		opts->io_queue_size = DEFAULT_IO_QUEUE_SIZE;
+	}
+
+	if (FIELD_OK(io_queue_requests)) {
+		opts->io_queue_requests = DEFAULT_IO_QUEUE_REQUESTS;
+	}
+
+	if (FIELD_OK(host_id)) {
+		memset(opts->host_id, 0, sizeof(opts->host_id));
+	}
+
+	if (FIELD_OK(extended_host_id)) {
+		memcpy(opts->extended_host_id, g_spdk_nvme_driver->default_extended_host_id,
+		       sizeof(opts->extended_host_id));
+	}
+
+	if (FIELD_OK(hostnqn)) {
+		uuid_unparse(g_spdk_nvme_driver->default_extended_host_id, host_id_str);
+		snprintf(opts->hostnqn, sizeof(opts->hostnqn), "2014-08.org.nvmexpress:uuid:%s", host_id_str);
+	}
+
+	if (FIELD_OK(src_addr)) {
+		memset(opts->src_addr, 0, sizeof(opts->src_addr));
+	}
+
+	if (FIELD_OK(src_svcid)) {
+		memset(opts->src_svcid, 0, sizeof(opts->src_svcid));
+	}
+#undef FIELD_OK
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h b/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
index 26d854f6e..87695c3e8 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_internal.h
@@ -587,7 +587,7 @@ void	nvme_free_request(struct nvme_request *req);
 void	nvme_request_remove_child(struct nvme_request *parent, struct nvme_request *child);
 uint64_t nvme_get_quirks(const struct spdk_pci_id *id);
 
-void	spdk_nvme_ctrlr_opts_set_defaults(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr_opts *opts);
+void	spdk_nvme_ctrlr_opts_set_defaults(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr_opts *opts, size_t opts_size);
 
 int	nvme_robust_mutex_init_shared(pthread_mutex_t *mtx);
 int	nvme_robust_mutex_init_recursive_shared(pthread_mutex_t *mtx);
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c
index 0afab2705..336fdea31 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_rdma.c
@@ -1192,7 +1192,7 @@ nvme_rdma_ctrlr_scan(const struct spdk_nvme_transport_id *discovery_trid,
 		return rc;
 	}
 
-	spdk_nvme_ctrlr_opts_set_defaults(&discovery_opts);
+	spdk_nvme_ctrlr_opts_set_defaults(&discovery_opts, sizeof(discovery_opts));
 	/* For discovery_ctrlr set the timeout to 0 */
 	discovery_opts.keep_alive_timeout_ms = 0;
 
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme.c/nvme_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme.c/nvme_ut.c
index c739848d0..3d0972ccb 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme.c/nvme_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme.c/nvme_ut.c
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ nvme_ctrlr_destruct(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr)
 }
 
 void
-spdk_nvme_ctrlr_opts_set_defaults(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr_opts *opts)
+spdk_nvme_ctrlr_opts_set_defaults(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr_opts *opts, size_t opts_size)
 {
 	memset(opts, 0, sizeof(*opts));
 }
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c/nvme_ctrlr_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c/nvme_ctrlr_ut.c
index 693c7791c..cc5e32f5e 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c/nvme_ctrlr_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c/nvme_ctrlr_ut.c
@@ -1411,16 +1411,45 @@ test_ctrlr_opts_set_defaults(void)
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(sizeof(uuid) == sizeof(g_spdk_nvme_driver->default_extended_host_id));
 	memcpy(g_spdk_nvme_driver->default_extended_host_id, uuid, sizeof(uuid));
 
-	spdk_nvme_ctrlr_opts_set_defaults(&opts);
+	memset(&opts, 0, sizeof(opts));
+
+	/* set a smaller opts_size */
+	CU_ASSERT(sizeof(opts) > 8);
+	spdk_nvme_ctrlr_opts_set_defaults(&opts, 8);
+	CU_ASSERT_EQUAL(opts.num_io_queues, DEFAULT_MAX_IO_QUEUES);
+	CU_ASSERT_TRUE(opts.use_cmb_sqs);
+	/* check below fields are not initialized by default value */
+	CU_ASSERT_EQUAL(opts.arb_mechanism, 0);
+	CU_ASSERT_EQUAL(opts.keep_alive_timeout_ms, 0);
+	CU_ASSERT_EQUAL(opts.io_queue_size, 0);
+	CU_ASSERT_EQUAL(opts.io_queue_requests, 0);
+	for (int i = 0; i < 8; i++) {
+		CU_ASSERT(opts.host_id[i] == 0);
+	}
+	for (int i = 0; i < 16; i++) {
+		CU_ASSERT(opts.extended_host_id[i] == 0);
+	}
+	CU_ASSERT(strlen(opts.hostnqn) == 0);
+	CU_ASSERT(strlen(opts.src_addr) == 0);
+	CU_ASSERT(strlen(opts.src_svcid) == 0);
+
+	/* set a consistent opts_size */
+	spdk_nvme_ctrlr_opts_set_defaults(&opts, sizeof(opts));
 	CU_ASSERT_EQUAL(opts.num_io_queues, DEFAULT_MAX_IO_QUEUES);
 	CU_ASSERT_TRUE(opts.use_cmb_sqs);
 	CU_ASSERT_EQUAL(opts.arb_mechanism, SPDK_NVME_CC_AMS_RR);
 	CU_ASSERT_EQUAL(opts.keep_alive_timeout_ms, 10 * 1000);
 	CU_ASSERT_EQUAL(opts.io_queue_size, DEFAULT_IO_QUEUE_SIZE);
+	CU_ASSERT_EQUAL(opts.io_queue_requests, DEFAULT_IO_QUEUE_REQUESTS);
+	for (int i = 0; i < 8; i++) {
+		CU_ASSERT(opts.host_id[i] == 0);
+	}
 	CU_ASSERT_STRING_EQUAL(opts.hostnqn,
 			       "2014-08.org.nvmexpress:uuid:e53e9258-c93b-48b5-be1a-f025af6d232a");
 	CU_ASSERT(memcmp(opts.extended_host_id, g_spdk_nvme_driver->default_extended_host_id,
 			 sizeof(opts.extended_host_id)) == 0);
+	CU_ASSERT(strlen(opts.src_addr) == 0);
+	CU_ASSERT(strlen(opts.src_svcid) == 0);
 }
 
 #if 0 /* TODO: move to PCIe-specific unit test */
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_ns_cmd.c/nvme_ns_cmd_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_ns_cmd.c/nvme_ns_cmd_ut.c
index cd2312a02..15a8af25f 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_ns_cmd.c/nvme_ns_cmd_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_ns_cmd.c/nvme_ns_cmd_ut.c
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ spdk_pci_addr_compare(const struct spdk_pci_addr *a1, const struct spdk_pci_addr
 }
 
 void
-spdk_nvme_ctrlr_opts_set_defaults(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr_opts *opts)
+spdk_nvme_ctrlr_opts_set_defaults(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr_opts *opts, size_t opts_size)
 {
 	memset(opts, 0, sizeof(*opts));
 }