diff --git a/mk/spdk.lib_deps.mk b/mk/spdk.lib_deps.mk
index 4a5c971ec..4af119630 100644
--- a/mk/spdk.lib_deps.mk
+++ b/mk/spdk.lib_deps.mk
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ DEPDIRS-bdev_virtio := $(BDEV_DEPS_CONF_THREAD) virtio
 # the SPDK event subsystem code.
 DEPDIRS-event_accel := event accel
 DEPDIRS-event_net := event net
-DEPDIRS-event_vmd := event vmd conf $(JSON_LIBS) log thread
+DEPDIRS-event_vmd := event vmd $(JSON_LIBS) log thread
 
 DEPDIRS-event_bdev := event bdev event_accel event_vmd event_sock
 
diff --git a/module/event/subsystems/vmd/vmd.c b/module/event/subsystems/vmd/vmd.c
index 55eb47019..e7d792d79 100644
--- a/module/event/subsystems/vmd/vmd.c
+++ b/module/event/subsystems/vmd/vmd.c
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@
  */
 
 #include "spdk/stdinc.h"
-#include "spdk/conf.h"
 #include "spdk/thread.h"
 #include "spdk/likely.h"
 
@@ -79,22 +78,6 @@ vmd_subsystem_init(void)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static void
-_vmd_subsystem_init(void)
-{
-	struct spdk_conf_section *sp;
-	int rc = 0;
-
-	sp = spdk_conf_find_section(NULL, "Vmd");
-	if (sp != NULL) {
-		if (spdk_conf_section_get_boolval(sp, "Enable", false)) {
-			rc = vmd_subsystem_init();
-		}
-	}
-
-	spdk_subsystem_init_next(rc);
-}
-
 static void
 vmd_subsystem_fini(void)
 {
@@ -123,7 +106,6 @@ vmd_write_config_json(struct spdk_json_write_ctx *w)
 
 static struct spdk_subsystem g_spdk_subsystem_vmd = {
 	.name = "vmd",
-	.init = _vmd_subsystem_init,
 	.fini = vmd_subsystem_fini,
 	.config = NULL,
 	.write_config_json = vmd_write_config_json,