diff --git a/app/vhost/vhost.c b/app/vhost/vhost.c
index ecf48e520..383f617df 100644
--- a/app/vhost/vhost.c
+++ b/app/vhost/vhost.c
@@ -90,6 +90,11 @@ vhost_parse_arg(int ch, char *arg)
 	}
 }
 
+static void
+vhost_started(void *arg1, void *arg2)
+{
+}
+
 int
 main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
@@ -109,7 +114,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	}
 
 	/* Blocks until the application is exiting */
-	rc = spdk_app_start(&opts, spdk_vhost_startup, NULL, NULL);
+	rc = spdk_app_start(&opts, vhost_started, NULL, NULL);
 
 	spdk_app_fini();
 
diff --git a/include/spdk/vhost.h b/include/spdk/vhost.h
index f7b0e73af..30bd8b13d 100644
--- a/include/spdk/vhost.h
+++ b/include/spdk/vhost.h
@@ -77,14 +77,6 @@ int spdk_vhost_init(void);
  */
 void spdk_vhost_fini(spdk_vhost_fini_cb fini_cb);
 
-/**
- * Init vhost application. This is called once by SPDK app layer.
- *
- * \param arg1 unused.
- * \param arg2 unused.
- */
-void spdk_vhost_startup(void *arg1, void *arg2);
-
 /**
  * Deinit vhost application. This is called once by SPDK app layer.
  */
diff --git a/lib/vhost/vhost.c b/lib/vhost/vhost.c
index 70dc8af45..13cdd23de 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/vhost.c
+++ b/lib/vhost/vhost.c
@@ -1118,29 +1118,6 @@ spdk_vhost_set_socket_path(const char *basename)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-void
-spdk_vhost_startup(void *arg1, void *arg2)
-{
-	int ret;
-
-	ret = spdk_vhost_scsi_controller_construct();
-	if (ret != 0) {
-		SPDK_ERRLOG("Cannot construct vhost controllers\n");
-		goto out;
-	}
-
-	ret = spdk_vhost_blk_controller_construct();
-	if (ret != 0) {
-		SPDK_ERRLOG("Cannot construct vhost block controllers\n");
-		goto out;
-	}
-
-	return;
-
-out:
-	spdk_app_stop(-1);
-}
-
 static void *
 session_shutdown(void *arg)
 {
@@ -1291,6 +1268,7 @@ int
 spdk_vhost_init(void)
 {
 	uint32_t last_core;
+	int ret;
 
 	last_core = spdk_env_get_last_core();
 	g_num_ctrlrs = calloc(last_core + 1, sizeof(uint32_t));
@@ -1299,6 +1277,19 @@ spdk_vhost_init(void)
 			    last_core + 1);
 		return -1;
 	}
+
+	ret = spdk_vhost_scsi_controller_construct();
+	if (ret != 0) {
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("Cannot construct vhost controllers\n");
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	ret = spdk_vhost_blk_controller_construct();
+	if (ret != 0) {
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("Cannot construct vhost block controllers\n");
+		return -1;
+	}
+
 	return 0;
 }