diff --git a/test/iscsi_tgt/fio/fio.sh b/test/iscsi_tgt/fio/fio.sh
index fbb12bc87..a3e7f1a66 100755
--- a/test/iscsi_tgt/fio/fio.sh
+++ b/test/iscsi_tgt/fio/fio.sh
@@ -6,13 +6,13 @@ source $rootdir/test/common/autotest_common.sh
 source $rootdir/test/iscsi_tgt/common.sh
 
 delete_tmp_files() {
+	rm -f $testdir/iscsi2.json
 	rm -f ./local-job0-0-verify.state
 }
 
 function running_config() {
-	# generate a config file from the running iscsi_tgt
-	#  running_config.sh will leave the file at /tmp/iscsi.conf
-	$testdir/running_config.sh $pid
+	# dump a config file from the running iscsi_tgt
+	$rpc_py save_config > $testdir/iscsi2.json
 	sleep 1
 
 	# now start iscsi_tgt again using the generated config file
@@ -23,11 +23,14 @@ function running_config() {
 
 	timing_enter start_iscsi_tgt2
 
-	$ISCSI_APP -c /tmp/iscsi.conf &
+	$ISCSI_APP --wait-for-rpc &
 	pid=$!
 	echo "Process pid: $pid"
 	trap "iscsicleanup; killprocess $pid; delete_tmp_files; exit 1" SIGINT SIGTERM EXIT
 	waitforlisten $pid
+
+	$rpc_py load_config < $testdir/iscsi2.json
+
 	echo "iscsi_tgt is listening. Running tests..."
 
 	timing_exit start_iscsi_tgt2
diff --git a/test/iscsi_tgt/fio/running_config.sh b/test/iscsi_tgt/fio/running_config.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index ea59eb5a1..000000000
--- a/test/iscsi_tgt/fio/running_config.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,22 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bash
-
-set -xe
-
-pid="$1"
-
-if [[ -z "$pid" ]]; then
-	echo "usage: $0 pid"
-	exit 1
-fi
-
-# delete any existing temporary iscsi.conf files
-rm -f /tmp/iscsi.conf*
-
-kill -USR1 "$pid"
-
-if [ ! -f $(ls /tmp/iscsi.conf.*) ]; then
-	echo "iscsi_tgt did not generate config file"
-	exit 1
-fi
-
-mv $(ls /tmp/iscsi.conf.*) /tmp/iscsi.conf