diff --git a/app/iscsi_tgt/iscsi_tgt.c b/app/iscsi_tgt/iscsi_tgt.c
index 40c3e115a..1a8a662f4 100644
--- a/app/iscsi_tgt/iscsi_tgt.c
+++ b/app/iscsi_tgt/iscsi_tgt.c
@@ -175,8 +175,6 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		sleep(10);
 	}
 
-	optind = 1; /* reset the optind */
-
 	opts.shutdown_cb = spdk_iscsi_shutdown;
 	opts.usr1_handler = spdk_sigusr1;
 	spdk_app_init(&opts);
diff --git a/examples/ioat/perf/perf.c b/examples/ioat/perf/perf.c
index bee9bbc04..3d4902527 100644
--- a/examples/ioat/perf/perf.c
+++ b/examples/ioat/perf/perf.c
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ parse_args(int argc, char **argv)
 		usage(argv[0]);
 		return 1;
 	}
-	optind = 1;
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/examples/ioat/verify/verify.c b/examples/ioat/verify/verify.c
index 645327d72..792551495 100644
--- a/examples/ioat/verify/verify.c
+++ b/examples/ioat/verify/verify.c
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ parse_args(int argc, char **argv)
 		usage(argv[0]);
 		return 1;
 	}
-	optind = 1;
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/examples/nvme/hotplug/hotplug.c b/examples/nvme/hotplug/hotplug.c
index 78580b875..05943febe 100644
--- a/examples/nvme/hotplug/hotplug.c
+++ b/examples/nvme/hotplug/hotplug.c
@@ -409,7 +409,6 @@ parse_args(int argc, char **argv)
 		return 1;
 	}
 
-	optind = 1;
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/examples/nvme/identify/identify.c b/examples/nvme/identify/identify.c
index e07baba80..3aea5967c 100644
--- a/examples/nvme/identify/identify.c
+++ b/examples/nvme/identify/identify.c
@@ -960,8 +960,6 @@ parse_args(int argc, char **argv)
 		}
 	}
 
-	optind = 1;
-
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/examples/nvme/perf/perf.c b/examples/nvme/perf/perf.c
index 91e2e2104..f0bc8e828 100644
--- a/examples/nvme/perf/perf.c
+++ b/examples/nvme/perf/perf.c
@@ -1179,7 +1179,7 @@ parse_args(int argc, char **argv)
 	}
 
 	g_aio_optind = optind;
-	optind = 1;
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/env_dpdk/init.c b/lib/env_dpdk/init.c
index 05230b089..160dc5098 100644
--- a/lib/env_dpdk/init.c
+++ b/lib/env_dpdk/init.c
@@ -236,6 +236,7 @@ void spdk_env_init(const struct spdk_env_opts *opts)
 	char **args = NULL;
 	char **dpdk_args = NULL;
 	int argcount, i, rc;
+	int orig_optind;
 
 	argcount = spdk_build_eal_cmdline(opts, &args);
 	if (argcount <= 0) {
@@ -262,7 +263,10 @@ void spdk_env_init(const struct spdk_env_opts *opts)
 	memcpy(dpdk_args, args, sizeof(char *) * argcount);
 
 	fflush(stdout);
+	orig_optind = optind;
+	optind = 1;
 	rc = rte_eal_init(argcount, dpdk_args);
+	optind = orig_optind;
 
 	spdk_free_args(args, argcount);
 	free(dpdk_args);
diff --git a/test/app/stub/stub.c b/test/app/stub/stub.c
index 2a4d4a7c1..2a2bac840 100644
--- a/test/app/stub/stub.c
+++ b/test/app/stub/stub.c
@@ -105,8 +105,6 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		exit(1);
 	}
 
-	optind = 1; /* reset the optind */
-
 	spdk_env_init(&opts);
 	if (spdk_nvme_probe(NULL, NULL, probe_cb, attach_cb, NULL) != 0) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "spdk_nvme_probe() failed\n");
diff --git a/test/lib/bdev/bdevperf/bdevperf.c b/test/lib/bdev/bdevperf/bdevperf.c
index c95131e62..d52a2a3aa 100644
--- a/test/lib/bdev/bdevperf/bdevperf.c
+++ b/test/lib/bdev/bdevperf/bdevperf.c
@@ -714,8 +714,6 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		g_zcopy = false;
 	}
 
-	optind = 1;  /* reset the optind */
-
 	blockdev_heads_init();
 
 	bdevtest_init(config_file, core_mask);
diff --git a/test/lib/event/event_perf/event_perf.c b/test/lib/event/event_perf/event_perf.c
index e3bf65022..f9338591a 100644
--- a/test/lib/event/event_perf/event_perf.c
+++ b/test/lib/event/event_perf/event_perf.c
@@ -143,8 +143,6 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		exit(1);
 	}
 
-	optind = 1;  /* reset the optind */
-
 	spdk_app_init(&opts);
 
 	g_tsc_rate = spdk_get_ticks_hz();
diff --git a/test/lib/event/reactor/reactor.c b/test/lib/event/reactor/reactor.c
index 3a262ccb0..784cf27ff 100644
--- a/test/lib/event/reactor/reactor.c
+++ b/test/lib/event/reactor/reactor.c
@@ -134,8 +134,6 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		exit(1);
 	}
 
-	optind = 1;
-
 	opts.shutdown_cb = test_cleanup;
 
 	spdk_app_init(&opts);
diff --git a/test/lib/event/reactor_perf/reactor_perf.c b/test/lib/event/reactor_perf/reactor_perf.c
index 5b287a3ac..d7712a14d 100644
--- a/test/lib/event/reactor_perf/reactor_perf.c
+++ b/test/lib/event/reactor_perf/reactor_perf.c
@@ -130,8 +130,6 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		exit(1);
 	}
 
-	optind = 1;
-
 	opts.shutdown_cb = test_cleanup;
 
 	spdk_app_init(&opts);
diff --git a/test/lib/nvme/aer/aer.c b/test/lib/nvme/aer/aer.c
index 3373e3d09..e748767f2 100644
--- a/test/lib/nvme/aer/aer.c
+++ b/test/lib/nvme/aer/aer.c
@@ -240,8 +240,6 @@ parse_args(int argc, char **argv)
 		}
 	}
 
-	optind = 1;
-
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/test/lib/nvme/overhead/overhead.c b/test/lib/nvme/overhead/overhead.c
index 7b5e4ea9f..c5a84c0e8 100644
--- a/test/lib/nvme/overhead/overhead.c
+++ b/test/lib/nvme/overhead/overhead.c
@@ -514,7 +514,7 @@ parse_args(int argc, char **argv)
 	}
 
 	g_aio_optind = optind;
-	optind = 1;
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/test/lib/nvme/reset/reset.c b/test/lib/nvme/reset/reset.c
index a0bd28ff3..998f38c24 100644
--- a/test/lib/nvme/reset/reset.c
+++ b/test/lib/nvme/reset/reset.c
@@ -485,7 +485,6 @@ parse_args(int argc, char **argv)
 		g_is_random = 1;
 	}
 
-	optind = 1;
 	return 0;
 }