diff --git a/lib/bdev/virtio/bdev_virtio.c b/lib/bdev/virtio/bdev_virtio.c
index 08596ead4..04ebd6f4a 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/virtio/bdev_virtio.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/virtio/bdev_virtio.c
@@ -1133,12 +1133,6 @@ bdev_virtio_scsi_scan(struct virtio_dev *vdev, virtio_create_device_cb cb_fn, vo
 		return rc;
 	}
 
-	rc = virtio_dev_start(vdev);
-	if (rc != 0) {
-		spdk_dma_free(base);
-		return rc;
-	}
-
 	base->vdev = vdev;
 	TAILQ_INIT(&base->found_disks);
 
diff --git a/lib/bdev/virtio/rte_virtio/virtio.c b/lib/bdev/virtio/rte_virtio/virtio.c
index 9fc2b683c..3dcb7df4c 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/virtio/rte_virtio/virtio.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/virtio/rte_virtio/virtio.c
@@ -363,33 +363,6 @@ virtio_dev_free(struct virtio_dev *dev)
 	free(dev);
 }
 
-int
-virtio_dev_start(struct virtio_dev *vdev)
-{
-	/* Enable uio/vfio intr/eventfd mapping: althrough we already did that
-	 * in device configure, but it could be unmapped  when device is
-	 * stopped.
-	 */
-	/** TODO: interrupt handling for virtio_scsi */
-#if 0
-	if (dev->data->dev_conf.intr_conf.lsc ||
-	    dev->data->dev_conf.intr_conf.rxq) {
-		rte_intr_disable(dev->intr_handle);
-
-		if (rte_intr_enable(dev->intr_handle) < 0) {
-			PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "interrupt enable failed");
-			return -EIO;
-		}
-	}
-#endif
-
-	SPDK_DEBUGLOG(SPDK_TRACE_VIRTIO_DEV, "Notified backend at initialization\n");
-
-	vdev->started = 1;
-
-	return 0;
-}
-
 static void
 vq_ring_free_chain(struct virtqueue *vq, uint16_t desc_idx)
 {
@@ -536,17 +509,15 @@ virtqueue_enqueue_xmit(struct virtqueue *vq, struct virtio_req *req)
 uint16_t
 virtio_recv_pkts(struct virtqueue *vq, struct virtio_req **reqs, uint16_t nb_pkts)
 {
-	struct virtio_dev *vdev = vq->vdev;
 	struct virtio_req *rxm;
 	uint16_t nb_used, num, nb_rx;
 	uint32_t len[VIRTIO_MBUF_BURST_SZ];
 	struct virtio_req *rcv_pkts[VIRTIO_MBUF_BURST_SZ];
 	uint32_t i;
 
-	nb_rx = 0;
-	if (spdk_unlikely(vdev->started == 0))
-		return nb_rx;
+	assert(virtio_dev_get_status(vq->vdev) & VIRTIO_CONFIG_S_DRIVER_OK);
 
+	nb_rx = 0;
 	nb_used = VIRTQUEUE_NUSED(vq);
 
 	virtio_rmb();
@@ -578,9 +549,7 @@ virtio_xmit_pkt(struct virtqueue *vq, struct virtio_req *req)
 	struct virtio_dev *vdev = vq->vdev;
 	int rc;
 
-	if (spdk_unlikely(vdev->started == 0))
-		return -EIO;
-
+	assert(virtio_dev_get_status(vdev) & VIRTIO_CONFIG_S_DRIVER_OK);
 	virtio_rmb();
 
 	rc = virtqueue_enqueue_xmit(vq, req);
diff --git a/lib/bdev/virtio/rte_virtio/virtio.h b/lib/bdev/virtio/rte_virtio/virtio.h
index 77380b299..3a2c31f5d 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/virtio/rte_virtio/virtio.h
+++ b/lib/bdev/virtio/rte_virtio/virtio.h
@@ -67,7 +67,6 @@ struct virtio_dev {
 
 	/** Name of this virtio dev set by backend */
 	char		*name;
-	uint16_t	started;
 
 	/** Max number of queues the host supports. */
 	uint16_t	max_queues;
@@ -205,9 +204,8 @@ uint16_t virtio_recv_pkts(struct virtqueue *vq, struct virtio_req **reqs,
  *
  * \param vq virtio queue
  * \param req virtio request
- * \return 0 on success, negative errno on error. In case the ring is full
- * or no free descriptors are available -ENOMEM is returned. If virtio
- * device owning the virtqueue is not started -EIO is returned.
+ * \return 0 on success. In case the ring is full or no free descriptors
+ * are available -ENOMEM is returned.
  */
 int virtio_xmit_pkt(struct virtqueue *vq, struct virtio_req *req);
 
@@ -222,7 +220,6 @@ struct virtio_dev *virtio_dev_construct(const struct virtio_dev_ops *ops, void *
 
 int virtio_dev_init(struct virtio_dev *hw, uint64_t req_features);
 void virtio_dev_free(struct virtio_dev *dev);
-int virtio_dev_start(struct virtio_dev *hw);
 
 /**
  * Bind a virtqueue with given index to the current thread;