diff --git a/test/unit/lib/iscsi/common.c b/test/unit/lib/iscsi/common.c
index 496e78da2..8d50dc06a 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/iscsi/common.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/iscsi/common.c
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 
 SPDK_LOG_REGISTER_COMPONENT("iscsi", SPDK_LOG_ISCSI)
 
-TAILQ_HEAD(, spdk_iscsi_pdu) g_write_pdu_list;
+TAILQ_HEAD(, spdk_iscsi_pdu) g_write_pdu_list = TAILQ_HEAD_INITIALIZER(g_write_pdu_list);
 
 struct spdk_iscsi_task *
 spdk_iscsi_task_get(struct spdk_iscsi_conn *conn,
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/iscsi/iscsi.c/iscsi_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/iscsi/iscsi.c/iscsi_ut.c
index e90a12a6f..5a2a03acc 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/iscsi/iscsi.c/iscsi_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/iscsi/iscsi.c/iscsi_ut.c
@@ -282,8 +282,6 @@ maxburstlength_test(void)
 	TAILQ_INIT(&conn.write_pdu_list);
 	TAILQ_INIT(&conn.active_r2t_tasks);
 
-	TAILQ_INIT(&g_write_pdu_list);
-
 	req_pdu->bhs.opcode = ISCSI_OP_SCSI;
 	req_pdu->data_segment_len = 0;
 
@@ -354,8 +352,6 @@ underflow_for_read_transfer_test(void)
 	struct iscsi_bhs_data_in *datah;
 	uint32_t residual_count = 0;
 
-	TAILQ_INIT(&g_write_pdu_list);
-
 	memset(&sess, 0, sizeof(sess));
 	memset(&conn, 0, sizeof(conn));
 	memset(&task, 0, sizeof(task));
@@ -418,8 +414,6 @@ underflow_for_zero_read_transfer_test(void)
 	struct iscsi_bhs_scsi_resp *resph;
 	uint32_t residual_count = 0, data_segment_len;
 
-	TAILQ_INIT(&g_write_pdu_list);
-
 	memset(&sess, 0, sizeof(sess));
 	memset(&conn, 0, sizeof(conn));
 	memset(&task, 0, sizeof(task));
@@ -484,8 +478,6 @@ underflow_for_request_sense_test(void)
 	struct iscsi_bhs_scsi_resp *resph;
 	uint32_t residual_count = 0, data_segment_len;
 
-	TAILQ_INIT(&g_write_pdu_list);
-
 	memset(&sess, 0, sizeof(sess));
 	memset(&conn, 0, sizeof(conn));
 	memset(&task, 0, sizeof(task));
@@ -575,8 +567,6 @@ underflow_for_check_condition_test(void)
 	struct iscsi_bhs_scsi_resp *resph;
 	uint32_t data_segment_len;
 
-	TAILQ_INIT(&g_write_pdu_list);
-
 	memset(&sess, 0, sizeof(sess));
 	memset(&conn, 0, sizeof(conn));
 	memset(&task, 0, sizeof(task));