diff --git a/lib/bdev/bdev.c b/lib/bdev/bdev.c
index f514e77fa..ec4dd3f2d 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/bdev.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/bdev.c
@@ -1168,10 +1168,10 @@ spdk_bdev_initialize(spdk_bdev_init_cb cb_fn, void *cb_arg)
 
 	/**
 	 * Ensure no more than half of the total buffers end up local caches, by
-	 *   using spdk_thread_get_count() to determine how many local caches we need
+	 *   using spdk_env_get_core_count() to determine how many local caches we need
 	 *   to account for.
 	 */
-	cache_size = BUF_SMALL_POOL_SIZE / (2 * spdk_thread_get_count());
+	cache_size = BUF_SMALL_POOL_SIZE / (2 * spdk_env_get_core_count());
 	snprintf(mempool_name, sizeof(mempool_name), "buf_small_pool_%d", getpid());
 
 	g_bdev_mgr.buf_small_pool = spdk_mempool_create(mempool_name,
@@ -1186,7 +1186,7 @@ spdk_bdev_initialize(spdk_bdev_init_cb cb_fn, void *cb_arg)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	cache_size = BUF_LARGE_POOL_SIZE / (2 * spdk_thread_get_count());
+	cache_size = BUF_LARGE_POOL_SIZE / (2 * spdk_env_get_core_count());
 	snprintf(mempool_name, sizeof(mempool_name), "buf_large_pool_%d", getpid());
 
 	g_bdev_mgr.buf_large_pool = spdk_mempool_create(mempool_name,
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/bdev/bdev.c/bdev_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/bdev/bdev.c/bdev_ut.c
index 5faa3def6..36916f4f5 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/bdev/bdev.c/bdev_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/bdev/bdev.c/bdev_ut.c
@@ -3401,6 +3401,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	CU_ADD_TEST(suite, lock_lba_range_overlapped);
 	CU_ADD_TEST(suite, bdev_io_abort);
 
+	allocate_cores(1);
 	allocate_threads(1);
 	set_thread(0);
 
@@ -3410,6 +3411,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	CU_cleanup_registry();
 
 	free_threads();
+	free_cores();
 
 	return num_failures;
 }
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/bdev/mt/bdev.c/bdev_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/bdev/mt/bdev.c/bdev_ut.c
index c1847bffb..351404a37 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/bdev/mt/bdev.c/bdev_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/bdev/mt/bdev.c/bdev_ut.c
@@ -281,6 +281,7 @@ setup_test(void)
 {
 	bool done = false;
 
+	allocate_cores(BDEV_UT_NUM_THREADS);
 	allocate_threads(BDEV_UT_NUM_THREADS);
 	set_thread(0);
 	spdk_bdev_initialize(bdev_init_cb, &done);
@@ -311,6 +312,7 @@ teardown_test(void)
 	CU_ASSERT(g_teardown_done == true);
 	g_teardown_done = false;
 	free_threads();
+	free_cores();
 }
 
 static uint32_t
@@ -1785,6 +1787,7 @@ bdev_set_io_timeout_mt(void)
 	CU_ASSERT(g_teardown_done == true);
 	g_teardown_done = false;
 	free_threads();
+	free_cores();
 }
 
 static bool g_io_done2;