diff --git a/test/unit/lib/iscsi/init_grp.c/init_grp_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/iscsi/init_grp.c/init_grp_ut.c
index fe3de787e..dfc2e1519 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/iscsi/init_grp.c/init_grp_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/iscsi/init_grp.c/init_grp_ut.c
@@ -40,7 +40,9 @@
 
 SPDK_LOG_REGISTER_COMPONENT(iscsi)
 
-struct spdk_iscsi_globals g_iscsi;
+struct spdk_iscsi_globals g_iscsi = {
+	.mutex = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER
+};
 
 static int
 test_setup(void)
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/iscsi/iscsi.c/iscsi_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/iscsi/iscsi.c/iscsi_ut.c
index c901e9ef4..35aaa2632 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/iscsi/iscsi.c/iscsi_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/iscsi/iscsi.c/iscsi_ut.c
@@ -54,7 +54,9 @@
 #define UT_INITIATOR_NAME2	"iqn.2017-11.spdk.io:i0002"
 #define UT_ISCSI_TSIH		256
 
-struct spdk_iscsi_tgt_node	g_tgt;
+struct spdk_iscsi_tgt_node	g_tgt = {
+	.mutex = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER
+};
 
 struct spdk_iscsi_tgt_node *
 iscsi_find_tgt_node(const char *target_name)