diff --git a/lib/bdev/virtio/rte_virtio/virtio.c b/lib/bdev/virtio/rte_virtio/virtio.c
index 3dcb7df4c..013f59670 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/virtio/rte_virtio/virtio.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/virtio/rte_virtio/virtio.c
@@ -263,6 +263,10 @@ virtio_alloc_queues(struct virtio_dev *dev)
 	uint16_t i;
 	int ret;
 
+	if (dev->vqs != NULL) {
+		return 0;
+	}
+
 	dev->vqs = rte_zmalloc(NULL, sizeof(struct virtqueue *) * nr_vq, 0);
 	if (!dev->vqs) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("failed to allocate %"PRIu16" vqs\n", nr_vq);
@@ -329,7 +333,6 @@ struct virtio_dev *
 	return vdev;
 }
 
-/* reset device and renegotiate features if needed */
 int
 virtio_dev_init(struct virtio_dev *dev, uint64_t req_features)
 {
diff --git a/lib/bdev/virtio/rte_virtio/virtio.h b/lib/bdev/virtio/rte_virtio/virtio.h
index 3a2c31f5d..6cd77150b 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/virtio/rte_virtio/virtio.h
+++ b/lib/bdev/virtio/rte_virtio/virtio.h
@@ -218,7 +218,13 @@ int virtio_xmit_pkt(struct virtqueue *vq, struct virtio_req *req);
  */
 struct virtio_dev *virtio_dev_construct(const struct virtio_dev_ops *ops, void *ctx);
 
-int virtio_dev_init(struct virtio_dev *hw, uint64_t req_features);
+/**
+ * Reset and reinit a virtio device.  This will also renegotiate feature flags.
+ *
+ * \param vdev vhost device
+ * \param req_features features this driver supports
+ */
+int virtio_dev_init(struct virtio_dev *vdev, uint64_t req_features);
 void virtio_dev_free(struct virtio_dev *dev);
 
 /**