diff --git a/include/spdk/nvmf.h b/include/spdk/nvmf.h
index ba33e4bee..bfed9585b 100644
--- a/include/spdk/nvmf.h
+++ b/include/spdk/nvmf.h
@@ -110,6 +110,14 @@ struct spdk_nvmf_listen_opts {
 	const struct spdk_json_val *transport_specific;
 };
 
+/**
+ * Initialize listen options
+ *
+ * \param opts Listener options.
+ * \param opts_size Must be set to sizeof(struct spdk_nvmf_listen_opts).
+ */
+void spdk_nvmf_listen_opts_init(struct spdk_nvmf_listen_opts *opts, size_t opts_size);
+
 struct spdk_nvmf_poll_group_stat {
 	uint32_t admin_qpairs;
 	uint32_t io_qpairs;
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c b/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
index 08de70951..45522780a 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
@@ -620,6 +620,16 @@ nvmf_listen_opts_copy(struct spdk_nvmf_listen_opts *opts,
 	SPDK_STATIC_ASSERT(sizeof(struct spdk_nvmf_listen_opts) == 16, "Incorrect size");
 }
 
+void
+spdk_nvmf_listen_opts_init(struct spdk_nvmf_listen_opts *opts, size_t opts_size)
+{
+	struct spdk_nvmf_listen_opts opts_local = {};
+
+	/* local version of opts should have defaults set here */
+
+	nvmf_listen_opts_copy(opts, &opts_local, opts_size);
+}
+
 int
 spdk_nvmf_tgt_listen_ext(struct spdk_nvmf_tgt *tgt, const struct spdk_nvme_transport_id *trid,
 			 struct spdk_nvmf_listen_opts *opts)
@@ -657,7 +667,9 @@ spdk_nvmf_tgt_listen_ext(struct spdk_nvmf_tgt *tgt, const struct spdk_nvme_trans
 int
 spdk_nvmf_tgt_listen(struct spdk_nvmf_tgt *tgt, struct spdk_nvme_transport_id *trid)
 {
-	struct spdk_nvmf_listen_opts opts = {.opts_size = sizeof(opts)};
+	struct spdk_nvmf_listen_opts opts;
+
+	spdk_nvmf_listen_opts_init(&opts, sizeof(opts));
 
 	return spdk_nvmf_tgt_listen_ext(tgt, trid, &opts);
 }
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/nvmf_rpc.c b/lib/nvmf/nvmf_rpc.c
index 405d2b573..d7c55fb84 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/nvmf_rpc.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/nvmf_rpc.c
@@ -938,8 +938,8 @@ rpc_nvmf_subsystem_add_listener(struct spdk_jsonrpc_request *request,
 	}
 
 	ctx->op = NVMF_RPC_LISTEN_ADD;
+	spdk_nvmf_listen_opts_init(&ctx->opts, sizeof(ctx->opts));
 	ctx->opts.transport_specific = params;
-	ctx->opts.opts_size = sizeof(ctx->opts);
 
 	rc = spdk_nvmf_subsystem_pause(subsystem, nvmf_rpc_listen_paused, ctx);
 	if (rc != 0) {
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/spdk_nvmf.map b/lib/nvmf/spdk_nvmf.map
index c55626c23..6e5953f1f 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/spdk_nvmf.map
+++ b/lib/nvmf/spdk_nvmf.map
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 	spdk_nvmf_get_first_tgt;
 	spdk_nvmf_get_next_tgt;
 	spdk_nvmf_tgt_write_config_json;
+	spdk_nvmf_listen_opts_init;
 	spdk_nvmf_tgt_listen;
 	spdk_nvmf_tgt_listen_ext;
 	spdk_nvmf_tgt_stop_listen;