diff --git a/lib/nvmf/rdma.c b/lib/nvmf/rdma.c
index 77f6b6aa2..bdad4bd99 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/rdma.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/rdma.c
@@ -166,9 +166,6 @@ struct spdk_nvmf_rdma_qpair {
 	/* Requests that are not in use */
 	TAILQ_HEAD(, spdk_nvmf_rdma_request)	free_queue;
 
-	/* Requests that are waiting to obtain a data buffer */
-	TAILQ_HEAD(, spdk_nvmf_rdma_request)	pending_data_buf_queue;
-
 	/* Requests that are waiting to perform an RDMA READ or WRITE */
 	TAILQ_HEAD(, spdk_nvmf_rdma_request)	pending_rdma_rw_queue;
 
@@ -198,6 +195,10 @@ struct spdk_nvmf_rdma_qpair {
 
 	TAILQ_ENTRY(spdk_nvmf_rdma_qpair)	link;
 	TAILQ_ENTRY(spdk_nvmf_rdma_qpair)	pending_link;
+
+	/* Mgmt channel */
+	struct spdk_io_channel			*mgmt_channel;
+	struct spdk_nvmf_rdma_mgmt_channel	*ch;
 };
 
 /* List of RDMA connections that have not yet received a CONNECT capsule */
@@ -254,6 +255,30 @@ struct spdk_nvmf_rdma_transport {
 	TAILQ_HEAD(, spdk_nvmf_rdma_port)	ports;
 };
 
+struct spdk_nvmf_rdma_mgmt_channel {
+	/* Requests that are waiting to obtain a data buffer */
+	TAILQ_HEAD(, spdk_nvmf_rdma_request)	pending_data_buf_queue;
+};
+
+static int
+spdk_nvmf_rdma_mgmt_channel_create(void *io_device, void *ctx_buf)
+{
+	struct spdk_nvmf_rdma_mgmt_channel *ch = ctx_buf;
+
+	TAILQ_INIT(&ch->pending_data_buf_queue);
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static void
+spdk_nvmf_rdma_mgmt_channel_destroy(void *io_device, void *ctx_buf)
+{
+	struct spdk_nvmf_rdma_mgmt_channel *ch = ctx_buf;
+
+	if (!TAILQ_EMPTY(&ch->pending_data_buf_queue)) {
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("Pending I/O list wasn't empty on channel destruction\n");
+	}
+}
+
 static void
 spdk_nvmf_rdma_qpair_destroy(struct spdk_nvmf_rdma_qpair *rdma_qpair)
 {
@@ -278,6 +303,7 @@ spdk_nvmf_rdma_qpair_destroy(struct spdk_nvmf_rdma_qpair *rdma_qpair)
 		ibv_destroy_cq(rdma_qpair->cq);
 	}
 
+	spdk_put_io_channel(rdma_qpair->mgmt_channel);
 	/* Free all memory */
 	spdk_dma_free(rdma_qpair->cmds);
 	spdk_dma_free(rdma_qpair->cpls);
@@ -314,7 +340,6 @@ spdk_nvmf_rdma_qpair_create(struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport,
 	rdma_qpair->max_rw_depth = max_rw_depth;
 	TAILQ_INIT(&rdma_qpair->incoming_queue);
 	TAILQ_INIT(&rdma_qpair->free_queue);
-	TAILQ_INIT(&rdma_qpair->pending_data_buf_queue);
 	TAILQ_INIT(&rdma_qpair->pending_rdma_rw_queue);
 
 	rdma_qpair->cq = ibv_create_cq(id->verbs, max_queue_depth * 3, rdma_qpair, NULL, 0);
@@ -658,6 +683,14 @@ nvmf_rdma_connect(struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport, struct rdma_cm_event *e
 	 * is received. */
 	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&g_pending_conns, rdma_qpair, pending_link);
 
+	rdma_qpair->mgmt_channel = spdk_get_io_channel(rtransport);
+	if (!rdma_qpair->mgmt_channel) {
+		goto err2;
+	}
+
+	rdma_qpair->ch = spdk_io_channel_get_ctx(rdma_qpair->mgmt_channel);
+	assert(rdma_qpair->ch != NULL);
+
 	return 0;
 
 err2:
@@ -967,12 +1000,12 @@ spdk_nvmf_rdma_request_process(struct spdk_nvmf_rdma_transport *rtransport,
 			}
 
 			rdma_req->state = RDMA_REQUEST_STATE_NEED_BUFFER;
-			TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&rqpair->pending_data_buf_queue, rdma_req, link);
+			TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&rqpair->ch->pending_data_buf_queue, rdma_req, link);
 			break;
 		case RDMA_REQUEST_STATE_NEED_BUFFER:
 			assert(rdma_req->req.xfer != SPDK_NVME_DATA_NONE);
 
-			if (rdma_req != TAILQ_FIRST(&rqpair->pending_data_buf_queue)) {
+			if (rdma_req != TAILQ_FIRST(&rqpair->ch->pending_data_buf_queue)) {
 				/* This request needs to wait in line to obtain a buffer */
 				break;
 			}
@@ -980,7 +1013,7 @@ spdk_nvmf_rdma_request_process(struct spdk_nvmf_rdma_transport *rtransport,
 			/* Try to get a data buffer */
 			rc = spdk_nvmf_rdma_request_parse_sgl(rtransport, device, rdma_req);
 			if (rc < 0) {
-				TAILQ_REMOVE(&rqpair->pending_data_buf_queue, rdma_req, link);
+				TAILQ_REMOVE(&rqpair->ch->pending_data_buf_queue, rdma_req, link);
 				rsp->status.sc = SPDK_NVME_SC_INTERNAL_DEVICE_ERROR;
 				rdma_req->state = RDMA_REQUEST_STATE_READY_TO_COMPLETE;
 				break;
@@ -991,7 +1024,7 @@ spdk_nvmf_rdma_request_process(struct spdk_nvmf_rdma_transport *rtransport,
 				break;
 			}
 
-			TAILQ_REMOVE(&rqpair->pending_data_buf_queue, rdma_req, link);
+			TAILQ_REMOVE(&rqpair->ch->pending_data_buf_queue, rdma_req, link);
 
 			/* If data is transferring from host to controller and the data didn't
 			 * arrive using in capsule data, we need to do a transfer from the host.
@@ -1141,6 +1174,10 @@ spdk_nvmf_rdma_create(struct spdk_nvmf_tgt *tgt)
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
+	spdk_io_device_register(rtransport, spdk_nvmf_rdma_mgmt_channel_create,
+				spdk_nvmf_rdma_mgmt_channel_destroy,
+				sizeof(struct spdk_nvmf_rdma_mgmt_channel));
+
 	contexts = rdma_get_devices(NULL);
 	i = 0;
 	rc = 0;
@@ -1212,6 +1249,7 @@ spdk_nvmf_rdma_destroy(struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport)
 	}
 
 	spdk_mempool_free(rtransport->data_buf_pool);
+	spdk_io_device_unregister(rtransport, NULL);
 	free(rtransport);
 
 	return 0;
@@ -1627,7 +1665,7 @@ spdk_nvmf_rdma_qpair_process_pending(struct spdk_nvmf_rdma_transport *rtransport
 	}
 
 	/* The second highest priority is I/O waiting on memory buffers. */
-	TAILQ_FOREACH_SAFE(rdma_req, &rqpair->pending_data_buf_queue, link, req_tmp) {
+	TAILQ_FOREACH_SAFE(rdma_req, &rqpair->ch->pending_data_buf_queue, link, req_tmp) {
 		if (spdk_nvmf_rdma_request_process(rtransport, rdma_req) == false) {
 			break;
 		}