diff --git a/lib/vhost/rte_vhost_user.c b/lib/vhost/rte_vhost_user.c
index d817c1872..654902369 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/rte_vhost_user.c
+++ b/lib/vhost/rte_vhost_user.c
@@ -920,13 +920,22 @@ new_connection(int vid)
 }
 
 static int
-vhost_user_session_start(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev, struct spdk_vhost_session *vsession)
+vhost_user_session_start_cb(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev,
+			    struct spdk_vhost_session *vsession, void *unused)
 {
 	const struct spdk_vhost_user_dev_backend *backend;
+	int rc;
 
 	backend = to_user_dev(vdev)->user_backend;
+	rc = backend->start_session(vdev, vsession, NULL);
+	vhost_user_session_start_done(vsession, rc);
+	return rc;
+}
 
-	return vhost_user_session_send_event(vsession, backend->start_session, 3, "start session");
+static int
+vhost_user_session_start(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev, struct spdk_vhost_session *vsession)
+{
+	return vhost_user_session_send_event(vsession, vhost_user_session_start_cb, 3, "start session");
 }
 
 static int
diff --git a/lib/vhost/vhost_blk.c b/lib/vhost/vhost_blk.c
index 7afe3fccf..2f63f49ec 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/vhost_blk.c
+++ b/lib/vhost/vhost_blk.c
@@ -1309,15 +1309,14 @@ vhost_blk_start(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev,
 		 */
 		if (vsession->virtqueue[i].vring.desc == NULL) {
 			SPDK_ERRLOG("%s: queue %"PRIu32" is empty\n", vsession->name, i);
-			rc = -1;
-			goto out;
+			return -1;
 		}
 	}
 
 	rc = alloc_task_pool(bvsession);
 	if (rc != 0) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("%s: failed to alloc task pool.\n", vsession->name);
-		goto out;
+		return rc;
 	}
 
 	if (bvdev->bdev) {
@@ -1325,8 +1324,7 @@ vhost_blk_start(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev,
 		if (!bvsession->io_channel) {
 			free_task_pool(bvsession);
 			SPDK_ERRLOG("%s: I/O channel allocation failed\n", vsession->name);
-			rc = -1;
-			goto out;
+			return -1;
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -1343,7 +1341,7 @@ vhost_blk_start(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev,
 
 		if (rc) {
 			SPDK_ERRLOG("%s: Interrupt register failed\n", vsession->name);
-			goto out;
+			return rc;
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -1358,8 +1356,6 @@ vhost_blk_start(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev,
 	spdk_poller_register_interrupt(bvsession->requestq_poller, vhost_blk_poller_set_interrupt_mode,
 				       bvsession);
 
-out:
-	vhost_user_session_start_done(vsession, rc);
 	return rc;
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/vhost/vhost_scsi.c b/lib/vhost/vhost_scsi.c
index 4714a1175..4fa8df7a0 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/vhost_scsi.c
+++ b/lib/vhost/vhost_scsi.c
@@ -1369,15 +1369,14 @@ vhost_scsi_start(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev,
 	for (i = VIRTIO_SCSI_REQUESTQ; i < vsession->max_queues; i++) {
 		if (vsession->virtqueue[i].vring.desc == NULL) {
 			SPDK_ERRLOG("%s: queue %"PRIu32" is empty\n", vsession->name, i);
-			rc = -1;
-			goto out;
+			return -1;
 		}
 	}
 
 	rc = alloc_task_pool(svsession);
 	if (rc != 0) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("%s: failed to alloc task pool.\n", vsession->name);
-		goto out;
+		return rc;
 	}
 
 	for (i = 0; i < SPDK_VHOST_SCSI_CTRLR_MAX_DEVS; i++) {
@@ -1408,8 +1407,6 @@ vhost_scsi_start(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev,
 	svsession->requestq_poller = SPDK_POLLER_REGISTER(vdev_worker, svsession, 0);
 	svsession->mgmt_poller = SPDK_POLLER_REGISTER(vdev_mgmt_worker, svsession,
 				 MGMT_POLL_PERIOD_US);
-out:
-	vhost_user_session_start_done(vsession, rc);
 	return rc;
 }