diff --git a/include/spdk_internal/accel_engine.h b/include/spdk_internal/accel_engine.h
index 5a72dacb3..c40b4b709 100644
--- a/include/spdk_internal/accel_engine.h
+++ b/include/spdk_internal/accel_engine.h
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ void spdk_accel_task_complete(struct spdk_accel_task *task, int status);
 struct accel_io_channel {
 	struct spdk_accel_engine	*engine;
 	struct spdk_io_channel		*engine_ch;
+	struct spdk_io_channel		*sw_engine_ch;
 	void				*task_pool_base;
 	TAILQ_HEAD(, spdk_accel_task)	task_pool;
 	void				*batch_pool_base;
diff --git a/lib/accel/accel_engine.c b/lib/accel/accel_engine.c
index b5e9ecbd2..949208aab 100644
--- a/lib/accel/accel_engine.c
+++ b/lib/accel/accel_engine.c
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ _get_task(struct accel_io_channel *accel_ch, struct spdk_accel_batch *batch,
 inline static void
 _add_to_comp_list(struct accel_io_channel *accel_ch, struct spdk_accel_task *accel_task, int status)
 {
-	struct sw_accel_io_channel *sw_ch = spdk_io_channel_get_ctx(accel_ch->engine_ch);
+	struct sw_accel_io_channel *sw_ch = spdk_io_channel_get_ctx(accel_ch->sw_engine_ch);
 
 	accel_task->status = status;
 	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&sw_ch->tasks_to_complete, accel_task, link);
@@ -958,12 +958,16 @@ accel_engine_create_cb(void *io_device, void *ctx_buf)
 		batch++;
 	}
 
+	/* Set sw engine channel for operations where hw engine does not support. */
+	accel_ch->sw_engine_ch = g_sw_accel_engine->get_io_channel();
+	assert(accel_ch->sw_engine_ch != NULL);
+
 	if (g_hw_accel_engine != NULL) {
 		accel_ch->engine_ch = g_hw_accel_engine->get_io_channel();
 		accel_ch->engine = g_hw_accel_engine;
 	} else {
 		/* No hw engine enabled, use sw. */
-		accel_ch->engine_ch = g_sw_accel_engine->get_io_channel();
+		accel_ch->engine_ch = accel_ch->sw_engine_ch;
 		accel_ch->engine = g_sw_accel_engine;
 	}
 	assert(accel_ch->engine_ch != NULL);
@@ -979,6 +983,9 @@ accel_engine_destroy_cb(void *io_device, void *ctx_buf)
 	struct accel_io_channel	*accel_ch = ctx_buf;
 
 	free(accel_ch->batch_pool_base);
+	if (accel_ch->sw_engine_ch != accel_ch->engine_ch) {
+		spdk_put_io_channel(accel_ch->sw_engine_ch);
+	}
 	spdk_put_io_channel(accel_ch->engine_ch);
 	free(accel_ch->task_pool_base);
 }
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/accel/accel.c/accel_engine_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/accel/accel.c/accel_engine_ut.c
index c6ae43727..72d98b803 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/accel/accel.c/accel_engine_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/accel/accel.c/accel_engine_ut.c
@@ -63,7 +63,8 @@ test_setup(void)
 		return -1;
 	}
 	g_accel_ch->engine_ch = g_engine_ch;
-	g_sw_ch = (struct sw_accel_io_channel *)((char *)g_accel_ch->engine_ch + sizeof(
+	g_accel_ch->sw_engine_ch = g_engine_ch;
+	g_sw_ch = (struct sw_accel_io_channel *)((char *)g_accel_ch->sw_engine_ch + sizeof(
 				struct spdk_io_channel));
 	TAILQ_INIT(&g_sw_ch->tasks_to_complete);
 	return 0;
@@ -649,6 +650,52 @@ test_spdk_accel_submit_crc32c(void)
 	CU_ASSERT(expected_accel_task == &task);
 }
 
+static void
+test_spdk_accel_submit_crc32c_hw_engine_unsupported(void)
+{
+	const uint64_t nbytes = TEST_SUBMIT_SIZE;
+	uint32_t crc_dst;
+	uint8_t src[TEST_SUBMIT_SIZE];
+	uint32_t seed = 1;
+	void *cb_arg = NULL;
+	int rc;
+	struct spdk_accel_task task;
+	struct spdk_accel_task *expected_accel_task = NULL;
+
+	/* Fail with no tasks on _get_task() */
+	rc = spdk_accel_submit_crc32c(g_ch, &crc_dst, src, seed, nbytes, dummy_submit_cb_fn, cb_arg);
+	CU_ASSERT(rc == -ENOMEM);
+
+	TAILQ_INIT(&g_accel_ch->task_pool);
+	task.cb_fn = dummy_submit_cb_fn;
+	task.cb_arg = cb_arg;
+	task.accel_ch = g_accel_ch;
+	task.batch = NULL;
+	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&g_accel_ch->task_pool, &task, link);
+
+	g_accel_ch->engine = &g_accel_engine;
+	/* HW engine only supports COPY and does not support CRC */
+	g_accel_ch->engine->capabilities = ACCEL_COPY;
+	g_accel_ch->engine->submit_tasks = dummy_submit_tasks;
+
+	/* Summit to HW engine while eventually handled by SW engine. */
+	rc = spdk_accel_submit_crc32c(g_ch, &crc_dst, src, seed, nbytes, dummy_submit_cb_fn, cb_arg);
+	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
+	CU_ASSERT(task.crc_dst == &crc_dst);
+	CU_ASSERT(task.src == src);
+	CU_ASSERT(task.v.iovcnt == 0);
+	CU_ASSERT(task.seed == seed);
+	CU_ASSERT(task.op_code == ACCEL_OPCODE_CRC32C);
+	CU_ASSERT(task.nbytes == nbytes);
+	/* Not set in HW engine callback while handled by SW engine instead. */
+	CU_ASSERT(g_dummy_submit_called == false);
+
+	/* SW engine does crc. */
+	expected_accel_task = TAILQ_FIRST(&g_sw_ch->tasks_to_complete);
+	TAILQ_REMOVE(&g_sw_ch->tasks_to_complete, expected_accel_task, link);
+	CU_ASSERT(expected_accel_task == &task);
+}
+
 static void
 test_spdk_accel_submit_crc32cv(void)
 {
@@ -818,6 +865,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	CU_ADD_TEST(suite, test_spdk_accel_submit_compare);
 	CU_ADD_TEST(suite, test_spdk_accel_submit_fill);
 	CU_ADD_TEST(suite, test_spdk_accel_submit_crc32c);
+	CU_ADD_TEST(suite, test_spdk_accel_submit_crc32c_hw_engine_unsupported);
 	CU_ADD_TEST(suite, test_spdk_accel_submit_crc32cv);
 	CU_ADD_TEST(suite, test_spdk_accel_submit_copy_crc32c);