diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 73a330543..78eeee36d 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,12 @@
 
 ## v19.10: (Upcoming Release)
 
+### nvmf
+
+The `spdk_nvmf_tgt_create` function now accepts an object of type `spdk_nvmf_target_opts`
+as its only parameter. This new structure contains the max_subsystems parameter previously
+passed into that function.
+
 ### nvme
 
 Added `no_shn_notification` to NVMe controller initialization options, users can enable
diff --git a/include/spdk/nvmf.h b/include/spdk/nvmf.h
index 6881d7f20..3e26a2ae6 100644
--- a/include/spdk/nvmf.h
+++ b/include/spdk/nvmf.h
@@ -114,11 +114,11 @@ struct spdk_nvmf_transport_poll_group_stat {
 /**
  * Construct an NVMe-oF target.
  *
- * \param max_subsystems the maximum number of subsystems allowed by the target.
+ * \param opts a pointer to an spdk_nvmf_target_opts structure.
  *
  * \return a pointer to a NVMe-oF target on success, or NULL on failure.
  */
-struct spdk_nvmf_tgt *spdk_nvmf_tgt_create(uint32_t max_subsystems);
+struct spdk_nvmf_tgt *spdk_nvmf_tgt_create(struct spdk_nvmf_target_opts *opts);
 
 typedef void (spdk_nvmf_tgt_destroy_done_fn)(void *ctx, int status);
 
diff --git a/lib/event/subsystems/nvmf/conf.c b/lib/event/subsystems/nvmf/conf.c
index 6534f5c3f..4f1f0a9c2 100644
--- a/lib/event/subsystems/nvmf/conf.c
+++ b/lib/event/subsystems/nvmf/conf.c
@@ -186,6 +186,7 @@ spdk_nvmf_parse_nvmf_tgt(void)
 {
 	int rc;
 	int using_deprecated_options;
+	struct spdk_nvmf_target_opts opts = { 0 };
 
 	if (!g_spdk_nvmf_tgt_max_subsystems) {
 		using_deprecated_options = spdk_nvmf_parse_tgt_max_subsystems();
@@ -207,7 +208,8 @@ spdk_nvmf_parse_nvmf_tgt(void)
 		}
 	}
 
-	g_spdk_nvmf_tgt = spdk_nvmf_tgt_create(g_spdk_nvmf_tgt_max_subsystems);
+	opts.max_subsystems = g_spdk_nvmf_tgt_max_subsystems;
+	g_spdk_nvmf_tgt = spdk_nvmf_tgt_create(&opts);
 
 	g_spdk_nvmf_tgt_max_subsystems = 0;
 
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c b/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
index 5859ddd4a..d9c3ef7cf 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ spdk_nvmf_tgt_destroy_poll_group_qpairs(struct spdk_nvmf_poll_group *group)
 }
 
 struct spdk_nvmf_tgt *
-spdk_nvmf_tgt_create(uint32_t max_subsystems)
+spdk_nvmf_tgt_create(struct spdk_nvmf_target_opts *opts)
 {
 	struct spdk_nvmf_tgt *tgt;
 
@@ -228,10 +228,10 @@ spdk_nvmf_tgt_create(uint32_t max_subsystems)
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	if (!max_subsystems) {
+	if (!opts || !opts->max_subsystems) {
 		tgt->max_subsystems = SPDK_NVMF_DEFAULT_MAX_SUBSYSTEMS;
 	} else {
-		tgt->max_subsystems = max_subsystems;
+		tgt->max_subsystems = opts->max_subsystems;
 	}
 
 	tgt->discovery_genctr = 0;
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/fc.c/fc_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/fc.c/fc_ut.c
index 87215dd47..9aeb3e522 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/fc.c/fc_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/fc.c/fc_ut.c
@@ -264,12 +264,13 @@ static void
 create_transport_test(void)
 {
 	const struct spdk_nvmf_transport_ops *ops = NULL;
+	struct spdk_nvmf_target_opts tgt_opts = { 0 };
 	struct spdk_nvmf_transport_opts opts = { 0 };
 
 	allocate_threads(8);
 	set_thread(0);
 
-	g_nvmf_tgt = spdk_nvmf_tgt_create(2);
+	g_nvmf_tgt = spdk_nvmf_tgt_create(&tgt_opts);
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(g_nvmf_tgt != NULL);
 
 	ops = spdk_nvmf_get_transport_ops((enum spdk_nvme_transport_type) SPDK_NVMF_TRTYPE_FC);