diff --git a/include/spdk/vhost.h b/include/spdk/vhost.h
index c7285b737..a66e7a29f 100644
--- a/include/spdk/vhost.h
+++ b/include/spdk/vhost.h
@@ -107,10 +107,9 @@ const char *spdk_vhost_dev_get_name(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev);
  * of SPDK app cpuset vhost was started with.
  *
  * \param dev vhost device
- * \param cpuset pointer to the cpuset of the vdev.
+ * \return cpuset of the vdev.
  */
-void spdk_vhost_dev_get_cpumask(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev,
-				struct spdk_cpuset *cpuset);
+const struct spdk_cpuset *spdk_vhost_dev_get_cpumask(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev);
 
 /**
  * By default, events are generated when asked, but for high queue depth and
diff --git a/lib/vhost/vhost.c b/lib/vhost/vhost.c
index 61ce3bfaa..e46bd0ae8 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/vhost.c
+++ b/lib/vhost/vhost.c
@@ -765,12 +765,11 @@ spdk_vhost_dev_get_name(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev)
 	return vdev->name;
 }
 
-void
-spdk_vhost_dev_get_cpumask(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev, struct spdk_cpuset *cpumask)
+const struct spdk_cpuset *
+spdk_vhost_dev_get_cpumask(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev)
 {
 	assert(vdev != NULL);
-	assert(cpumask != NULL);
-	spdk_cpuset_copy(cpumask, vdev->cpumask);
+	return vdev->cpumask;
 }
 
 static uint32_t