diff --git a/lib/bdev/malloc/bdev_malloc.c b/lib/bdev/malloc/bdev_malloc.c
index 42461ab3d..e9a95c969 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/malloc/bdev_malloc.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/malloc/bdev_malloc.c
@@ -367,7 +367,7 @@ static const struct spdk_bdev_fn_table malloc_fn_table = {
 	.get_io_channel		= bdev_malloc_get_io_channel,
 };
 
-struct spdk_bdev *create_malloc_disk(uint64_t num_blocks, uint32_t block_size)
+struct spdk_bdev *create_malloc_disk(const char *name, uint64_t num_blocks, uint32_t block_size)
 {
 	struct malloc_disk	*mdisk;
 
@@ -400,13 +400,18 @@ struct spdk_bdev *create_malloc_disk(uint64_t num_blocks, uint32_t block_size)
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	mdisk->disk.name = spdk_sprintf_alloc("Malloc%d", malloc_disk_count);
+	if (name) {
+		mdisk->disk.name = strdup(name);
+	} else {
+		/* Auto-generate a name */
+		mdisk->disk.name = spdk_sprintf_alloc("Malloc%d", malloc_disk_count);
+		malloc_disk_count++;
+	}
 	if (!mdisk->disk.name) {
 		malloc_disk_free(mdisk);
 		return NULL;
 	}
 	mdisk->disk.product_name = "Malloc disk";
-	malloc_disk_count++;
 
 	mdisk->disk.write_cache = 1;
 	mdisk->disk.blocklen = block_size;
@@ -453,7 +458,7 @@ static int bdev_malloc_initialize(void)
 		}
 		size = (uint64_t)LunSizeInMB * 1024 * 1024;
 		for (i = 0; i < NumberOfLuns; i++) {
-			bdev = create_malloc_disk(size / BlockSize, BlockSize);
+			bdev = create_malloc_disk(NULL, size / BlockSize, BlockSize);
 			if (bdev == NULL) {
 				SPDK_ERRLOG("Could not create malloc disk\n");
 				rc = EINVAL;
diff --git a/lib/bdev/malloc/bdev_malloc.h b/lib/bdev/malloc/bdev_malloc.h
index 8f1c9a14c..0462bd148 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/malloc/bdev_malloc.h
+++ b/lib/bdev/malloc/bdev_malloc.h
@@ -38,6 +38,6 @@
 
 #include "spdk/bdev.h"
 
-struct spdk_bdev *create_malloc_disk(uint64_t num_blocks, uint32_t block_size);
+struct spdk_bdev *create_malloc_disk(const char *name, uint64_t num_blocks, uint32_t block_size);
 
 #endif /* SPDK_BDEV_MALLOC_H */
diff --git a/lib/bdev/malloc/bdev_malloc_rpc.c b/lib/bdev/malloc/bdev_malloc_rpc.c
index 4d56d4277..3e0dd747e 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/malloc/bdev_malloc_rpc.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/malloc/bdev_malloc_rpc.c
@@ -38,11 +38,19 @@
 #include "spdk_internal/log.h"
 
 struct rpc_construct_malloc {
+	char *name;
 	uint32_t num_blocks;
 	uint32_t block_size;
 };
 
+static void
+free_rpc_construct_malloc(struct rpc_construct_malloc *r)
+{
+	free(r->name);
+}
+
 static const struct spdk_json_object_decoder rpc_construct_malloc_decoders[] = {
+	{"name", offsetof(struct rpc_construct_malloc, name), spdk_json_decode_string, true},
 	{"num_blocks", offsetof(struct rpc_construct_malloc, num_blocks), spdk_json_decode_uint32},
 	{"block_size", offsetof(struct rpc_construct_malloc, block_size), spdk_json_decode_uint32},
 };
@@ -51,7 +59,7 @@ static void
 spdk_rpc_construct_malloc_bdev(struct spdk_jsonrpc_request *request,
 			       const struct spdk_json_val *params)
 {
-	struct rpc_construct_malloc req = {};
+	struct rpc_construct_malloc req = {NULL};
 	struct spdk_json_write_ctx *w;
 	struct spdk_bdev *bdev;
 
@@ -62,11 +70,13 @@ spdk_rpc_construct_malloc_bdev(struct spdk_jsonrpc_request *request,
 		goto invalid;
 	}
 
-	bdev = create_malloc_disk(req.num_blocks, req.block_size);
+	bdev = create_malloc_disk(req.name, req.num_blocks, req.block_size);
 	if (bdev == NULL) {
 		goto invalid;
 	}
 
+	free_rpc_construct_malloc(&req);
+
 	w = spdk_jsonrpc_begin_result(request);
 	if (w == NULL) {
 		return;
@@ -79,6 +89,7 @@ spdk_rpc_construct_malloc_bdev(struct spdk_jsonrpc_request *request,
 	return;
 
 invalid:
+	free_rpc_construct_malloc(&req);
 	spdk_jsonrpc_send_error_response(request, SPDK_JSONRPC_ERROR_INVALID_PARAMS, "Invalid parameters");
 }
 SPDK_RPC_REGISTER("construct_malloc_bdev", spdk_rpc_construct_malloc_bdev)
diff --git a/scripts/rpc.py b/scripts/rpc.py
index fd0656cc5..7f1fe2c58 100755
--- a/scripts/rpc.py
+++ b/scripts/rpc.py
@@ -166,9 +166,12 @@ p.set_defaults(func=construct_target_node)
 def construct_malloc_bdev(args):
     num_blocks = (args.total_size * 1024 * 1024) / args.block_size
     params = {'num_blocks': num_blocks, 'block_size': args.block_size}
+    if args.name:
+        params['name'] = args.name
     print_array(jsonrpc_call('construct_malloc_bdev', params))
 
 p = subparsers.add_parser('construct_malloc_bdev', help='Add a bdev with malloc backend')
+p.add_argument('-b', '--name', help="Name of the bdev")
 p.add_argument('total_size', help='Size of malloc bdev in MB (int > 0)', type=int)
 p.add_argument('block_size', help='Block size for this bdev', type=int)
 p.set_defaults(func=construct_malloc_bdev)
diff --git a/test/iscsi_tgt/calsoft/calsoft.sh b/test/iscsi_tgt/calsoft/calsoft.sh
index 09cde0ac1..efa5f2b03 100755
--- a/test/iscsi_tgt/calsoft/calsoft.sh
+++ b/test/iscsi_tgt/calsoft/calsoft.sh
@@ -43,12 +43,12 @@ timing_exit start_iscsi_tgt
 
 $rpc_py add_portal_group 1 $TARGET_IP:$PORT
 $rpc_py add_initiator_group $INITIATOR_TAG $INITIATOR_NAME $NETMASK
-$rpc_py construct_malloc_bdev $MALLOC_BDEV_SIZE $MALLOC_BLOCK_SIZE
-# "Malloc0:0" ==> use Malloc0 blockdev for LUN0
+$rpc_py construct_malloc_bdev -b MyBdev $MALLOC_BDEV_SIZE $MALLOC_BLOCK_SIZE
+# "MyBdev:0" ==> use MyBdev blockdev for LUN0
 # "1:2" ==> map PortalGroup1 to InitiatorGroup2
 # "64" ==> iSCSI queue depth 64
 # "0 0 0 1" ==> enable CHAP authentication using auth group 1
-$rpc_py construct_target_node Target3 Target3_alias 'Malloc0:0' '1:2' 64 0 0 0 1
+$rpc_py construct_target_node Target3 Target3_alias 'MyBdev:0' '1:2' 64 0 0 0 1
 sleep 1
 
 if [ "$1" ]; then