diff --git a/test/vhost/initiator/blockdev.sh b/test/vhost/initiator/blockdev.sh
index e11c1a3c5..9f4181318 100755
--- a/test/vhost/initiator/blockdev.sh
+++ b/test/vhost/initiator/blockdev.sh
@@ -10,47 +10,11 @@ function run_spdk_fio() {
 }
 
 function err_cleanup() {
+	rm -f $testdir/bdev.json
 	killprocess $vhost_pid
-}
-
-function gen_vhost_conf() {
-	local traddr dev_type vg_count name conf setup
-
-	setup+=("naa.Nvme0n1_scsi0.0 scsi 8 VirtioScsi0")
-	setup+=("naa.Nvme0n1_blk0.0  blk  8 VirtioBlk3")
-	setup+=("naa.Nvme0n1_blk1.0  blk  8 VirtioBlk4")
-	setup+=("naa.Malloc0.0       scsi 8 VirtioScsi1")
-	setup+=("naa.Malloc1.0       scsi 8 VirtioScsi2")
-
-	while read -r traddr dev_type vg_count name; do
-		conf+=("$(
-			cat <<- VHOST
-				{
-				  "method": "bdev_virtio_attach_controller",
-				  "params": {
-				    "name": "$name",
-				    "dev_type": "$dev_type",
-				    "trtype": "user",
-				    "traddr": "$traddr",
-				    "vq_count": $vg_count,
-				    "vq_size": 512
-				  }
-				}
-			VHOST
-		)")
-	done < <(printf '%s\n' "${setup[@]}")
-
-	local IFS=","
-	cat <<- VHOST
-		{
-		  "subsystems": [ {
-		    "subsystem": "bdev",
-		    "config": [
-		      ${conf[*]}
-		    ]
-		  } ]
-		}
-	VHOST
+	if [[ -n "$dummy_spdk_pid" ]] && kill -0 $dummy_spdk_pid &> /dev/null; then
+		killprocess $dummy_spdk_pid
+	fi
 }
 
 # start vhost and configure it
@@ -88,16 +52,37 @@ rpc_cmd vhost_create_scsi_controller naa.Malloc1.0 --cpumask 0xc
 rpc_cmd vhost_scsi_controller_add_target naa.Malloc1.0 0 Malloc1
 [[ "$(rpc_cmd vhost_get_controllers -n naa.Malloc1.0 | jq -r '.[].cpumask')" == "0xc" ]]
 
+# start a dummy app, create vhost bdevs in it, then dump the config for FIO
+# Pre-allocate 1GB of memory for the application - virtio-user initiator requires it.  See issue #2596.
+$SPDK_BIN_DIR/spdk_tgt -r /tmp/spdk2.sock -g -s 1024 &
+dummy_spdk_pid=$!
+waitforlisten $dummy_spdk_pid /tmp/spdk2.sock
+rpc_cmd -s /tmp/spdk2.sock bdev_virtio_attach_controller --trtype user --traddr 'naa.Nvme0n1_scsi0.0' -d scsi --vq-count 8 'VirtioScsi0'
+rpc_cmd -s /tmp/spdk2.sock bdev_virtio_attach_controller --trtype user --traddr 'naa.Nvme0n1_blk0.0' -d blk --vq-count 8 'VirtioBlk3'
+rpc_cmd -s /tmp/spdk2.sock bdev_virtio_attach_controller --trtype user --traddr 'naa.Nvme0n1_blk1.0' -d blk --vq-count 8 'VirtioBlk4'
+
+rpc_cmd -s /tmp/spdk2.sock bdev_virtio_attach_controller --trtype user --traddr 'naa.Malloc0.0' -d scsi --vq-count 8 'VirtioScsi1'
+rpc_cmd -s /tmp/spdk2.sock bdev_virtio_attach_controller --trtype user --traddr 'naa.Malloc1.0' -d scsi --vq-count 8 'VirtioScsi2'
+
+cat <<- CONF > $testdir/bdev.json
+	{"subsystems":[
+	$(rpc_cmd -s /tmp/spdk2.sock save_subsystem_config -n bdev)
+	]}
+CONF
+killprocess $dummy_spdk_pid
+
+# run FIO with previously acquired spdk config files
 timing_enter run_spdk_fio
-run_spdk_fio $testdir/bdev.fio --filename=* --section=job_randwrite --spdk_json_conf=<(gen_vhost_conf)
+run_spdk_fio $testdir/bdev.fio --filename=* --section=job_randwrite --spdk_json_conf=$testdir/bdev.json
 timing_exit run_spdk_fio
 
 timing_enter run_spdk_fio_unmap
-run_spdk_fio $testdir/bdev.fio --filename="VirtioScsi1t0:VirtioScsi2t0" --spdk_json_conf=<(gen_vhost_conf)
+run_spdk_fio $testdir/bdev.fio --filename="VirtioScsi1t0:VirtioScsi2t0" --spdk_json_conf=$testdir/bdev.json
 timing_exit run_spdk_fio_unmap
 
 rpc_cmd bdev_nvme_detach_controller Nvme0
 
 trap - SIGINT SIGTERM EXIT
+rm -f $testdir/bdev.json
 
 killprocess $vhost_pid