diff --git a/lib/nvmf/conf.c b/lib/nvmf/conf.c
index d1861655b..785d14ddd 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/conf.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/conf.c
@@ -68,6 +68,30 @@ struct spdk_nvmf_probe_ctx {
 #define SPDK_NVMF_CONFIG_QUEUE_DEPTH_MIN 16
 #define SPDK_NVMF_CONFIG_QUEUE_DEPTH_MAX 1024
 
+static int
+spdk_add_nvmf_discovery_subsystem(void)
+{
+	struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *subsystem;
+	char *name;
+
+	name = strdup(SPDK_NVMF_DISCOVERY_NQN);
+	if (name == NULL) {
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("strdup ss_group->name error\n");
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	subsystem = nvmf_create_subsystem(0, name, SPDK_NVMF_SUBTYPE_DISCOVERY, rte_get_master_lcore());
+	if (subsystem == NULL) {
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("Failed creating discovery nvmf library subsystem\n");
+		free(name);
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	free(name);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static int
 spdk_nvmf_parse_nvmf_tgt(void)
 {
@@ -97,7 +121,18 @@ spdk_nvmf_parse_nvmf_tgt(void)
 	max_queues_per_sess = nvmf_min(max_queues_per_sess, SPDK_NVMF_CONFIG_QUEUES_PER_SESSION_MAX);
 
 	rc = nvmf_tgt_init(max_queue_depth, max_queues_per_sess);
-	return rc;
+	if (rc != 0) {
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("nvmf_tgt_init() failed\n");
+		return rc;
+	}
+
+	rc = spdk_add_nvmf_discovery_subsystem();
+	if (rc != 0) {
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("spdk_add_nvmf_discovery_subsystem failed\n");
+		return rc;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static int
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c b/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
index 4ed7e75af..2b806a44a 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
@@ -162,13 +162,7 @@ nvmf_tgt_subsystem_initialize(void)
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	rc = spdk_add_nvmf_discovery_subsystem();
-	if (rc < 0) {
-		SPDK_ERRLOG("spdk_add_nvmf_discovery_subsystem failed\n");
-		return rc;
-	}
-
-	return rc;
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static int
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c b/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c
index e37b83421..39af42c05 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c
@@ -211,30 +211,6 @@ nvmf_subsystem_add_ctrlr(struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *subsystem,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int
-spdk_add_nvmf_discovery_subsystem(void)
-{
-	struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *subsystem;
-	char *name;
-
-	name = strdup(SPDK_NVMF_DISCOVERY_NQN);
-	if (name == NULL) {
-		SPDK_ERRLOG("strdup ss_group->name error\n");
-		return -1;
-	}
-
-	subsystem = nvmf_create_subsystem(0, name, SPDK_NVMF_SUBTYPE_DISCOVERY, rte_get_master_lcore());
-	if (subsystem == NULL) {
-		SPDK_ERRLOG("Failed creating discovery nvmf library subsystem\n");
-		free(name);
-		return -1;
-	}
-
-	free(name);
-
-	return 0;
-}
-
 void
 spdk_format_discovery_log(struct spdk_nvmf_discovery_log_page *disc_log, uint32_t length)
 {
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/subsystem.h b/lib/nvmf/subsystem.h
index 451f97cf8..60063d977 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/subsystem.h
+++ b/lib/nvmf/subsystem.h
@@ -113,9 +113,6 @@ nvmf_subsystem_add_ctrlr(struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *subsystem,
 int
 spdk_shutdown_nvmf_subsystems(void);
 
-int
-spdk_add_nvmf_discovery_subsystem(void);
-
 void
 spdk_format_discovery_log(struct spdk_nvmf_discovery_log_page *disc_log, uint32_t length);