diff --git a/include/spdk/scsi.h b/include/spdk/scsi.h
index 02fc9f727..86b75bf89 100644
--- a/include/spdk/scsi.h
+++ b/include/spdk/scsi.h
@@ -63,6 +63,10 @@
 
 #define SPDK_SCSI_LUN_MAX_NAME_LENGTH		16
 
+/* This flag indicated that data buffers are allocated
+ * internally and hence need to be freed by the SCSI layer.*/
+#define SPDK_SCSI_TASK_ALLOC_BUFFER  1
+
 enum spdk_scsi_data_dir {
 	SPDK_SCSI_DIR_NONE = 0,
 	SPDK_SCSI_DIR_TO_DEV = 1,
@@ -133,11 +137,11 @@ struct spdk_scsi_task {
 	struct iovec iov;
 	struct iovec *iovs;
 	uint16_t iovcnt;
+	uint8_t iov_flags;
 
 	uint8_t sense_data[32];
 	size_t sense_data_len;
 
-	uint8_t *rbuf; /* read buffer */
 	void *blockdev_io;
 
 	TAILQ_ENTRY(spdk_scsi_task) scsi_link;
diff --git a/lib/iscsi/iscsi.c b/lib/iscsi/iscsi.c
index 0137b4043..7432e783f 100644
--- a/lib/iscsi/iscsi.c
+++ b/lib/iscsi/iscsi.c
@@ -2602,7 +2602,7 @@ spdk_iscsi_send_datain(struct spdk_iscsi_conn *conn,
 	/* DATA PDU */
 	rsp_pdu = spdk_get_pdu();
 	rsph = (struct iscsi_bhs_data_in *)&rsp_pdu->bhs;
-	rsp_pdu->data = task->scsi.rbuf + offset;
+	rsp_pdu->data = task->scsi.iov.iov_base + offset;
 	rsp_pdu->data_from_mempool = true;
 
 	task_tag = task->scsi.id;
@@ -2844,7 +2844,7 @@ int spdk_iscsi_conn_handle_queued_tasks(struct spdk_iscsi_conn *conn)
 			assert(subtask != NULL);
 			subtask->scsi.offset = task->current_datain_offset;
 			subtask->scsi.length = DMIN32(SPDK_BDEV_LARGE_RBUF_MAX_SIZE, remaining_size);
-			subtask->scsi.rbuf = NULL;
+			subtask->scsi.iov.iov_base = NULL;
 			spdk_iscsi_queue_task(conn, subtask);
 			task->current_datain_offset += subtask->scsi.length;
 			conn->data_in_cnt++;
@@ -2866,7 +2866,7 @@ static int spdk_iscsi_op_scsi_read(struct spdk_iscsi_conn *conn,
 	task->scsi.parent = NULL;
 	task->scsi.offset = 0;
 	task->scsi.length = DMIN32(SPDK_BDEV_LARGE_RBUF_MAX_SIZE, task->scsi.transfer_len);
-	task->scsi.rbuf = NULL;
+	task->scsi.iov.iov_base = NULL;
 
 	remaining_size = task->scsi.transfer_len - task->scsi.length;
 	task->current_datain_offset = 0;
diff --git a/lib/scsi/scsi_bdev.c b/lib/scsi/scsi_bdev.c
index 1ef5eb5c9..5ddccd8a6 100644
--- a/lib/scsi/scsi_bdev.c
+++ b/lib/scsi/scsi_bdev.c
@@ -1300,9 +1300,8 @@ spdk_bdev_scsi_task_complete(spdk_event_t event)
 			spdk_scsi_lun_clear_all(task->lun);
 		}
 	}
-
 	if (bdev_io->type == SPDK_BDEV_IO_TYPE_READ) {
-		task->rbuf = bdev_io->u.read.iovs[0].iov_base;
+		task->iov.iov_base = bdev_io->u.read.iovs[0].iov_base;
 	}
 
 	spdk_scsi_lun_complete_task(task->lun, task);
@@ -1334,11 +1333,11 @@ spdk_bdev_scsi_read(struct spdk_bdev *bdev,
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("end of media\n");
 		return -1;
 	}
-
-	task->blockdev_io = spdk_bdev_read(bdev, task->ch, task->rbuf, offset, nbytes,
-					   spdk_bdev_scsi_task_complete, task);
+	task->blockdev_io = spdk_bdev_readv(bdev, task->ch, task->iovs,
+					    task->iovcnt, offset, nbytes,
+					    spdk_bdev_scsi_task_complete, task);
 	if (!task->blockdev_io) {
-		SPDK_ERRLOG("spdk_bdev_read() failed\n");
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("spdk_bdev_readv() failed\n");
 		return -1;
 	}
 
@@ -1385,8 +1384,8 @@ spdk_bdev_scsi_write(struct spdk_bdev *bdev,
 	}
 
 	offset += task->offset;
-	task->blockdev_io = spdk_bdev_writev(bdev, task->ch, &task->iov,
-					     1, offset, task->length,
+	task->blockdev_io = spdk_bdev_writev(bdev, task->ch, task->iovs,
+					     task->iovcnt, offset, task->length,
 					     spdk_bdev_scsi_task_complete,
 					     task);
 
diff --git a/lib/scsi/task.c b/lib/scsi/task.c
index 0c8426a29..d487a60aa 100644
--- a/lib/scsi/task.c
+++ b/lib/scsi/task.c
@@ -59,12 +59,10 @@ spdk_scsi_task_put(struct spdk_scsi_task *task)
 				bdev_io->status = SPDK_BDEV_IO_STATUS_FAILED;
 			}
 			spdk_bdev_free_io(bdev_io);
-		} else {
-			spdk_free(task->rbuf);
+		} else if (task->iov_flags & SPDK_SCSI_TASK_ALLOC_BUFFER) {
+			spdk_free(task->iov.iov_base);
 		}
 
-		task->rbuf = NULL;
-
 		assert(task->owner_task_ctr != NULL);
 		if (*(task->owner_task_ctr) > 0) {
 			*(task->owner_task_ctr) -= 1;
@@ -122,13 +120,14 @@ spdk_scsi_task_alloc_data(struct spdk_scsi_task *task, uint32_t alloc_len,
 	if (alloc_len < 4096) {
 		alloc_len = 4096;
 	}
-
-	task->alloc_len = alloc_len;
-	if (task->rbuf == NULL) {
-		task->rbuf = spdk_zmalloc(alloc_len, 0, NULL);
+	/* This is workaround for buffers shorter than 4kb */
+	if (task->iov.iov_base == NULL) {
+		task->iov.iov_base = spdk_zmalloc(alloc_len, 0, NULL);
+		task->iov_flags |= SPDK_SCSI_TASK_ALLOC_BUFFER;
 	}
-	*data = task->rbuf;
-	memset(task->rbuf, 0, task->alloc_len);
+	task->alloc_len = alloc_len;
+	*data = task->iov.iov_base;
+	memset(task->iov.iov_base, 0, task->alloc_len);
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/test/lib/scsi/lun/lun_ut.c b/test/lib/scsi/lun/lun_ut.c
index 04371f662..8878d001b 100644
--- a/test/lib/scsi/lun/lun_ut.c
+++ b/test/lib/scsi/lun/lun_ut.c
@@ -76,11 +76,9 @@ void
 spdk_scsi_task_put(struct spdk_scsi_task *task)
 {
 	g_task_count--;
-
-	if (task->rbuf) {
-		free(task->rbuf);
+	if (task->iov_flags & SPDK_SCSI_TASK_ALLOC_BUFFER) {
+		free(task->iov.iov_base);
 	}
-
 	free(task);
 }
 
@@ -98,7 +96,7 @@ spdk_scsi_task_alloc_data(struct spdk_scsi_task *task, uint32_t alloc_len,
 		alloc_len = 4096;
 
 	task->alloc_len = alloc_len;
-	*data = task->rbuf;
+	*data = task->iov.iov_base;
 }
 
 void spdk_scsi_dev_queue_mgmt_task(struct spdk_scsi_dev *dev,
@@ -420,7 +418,8 @@ lun_append_task_null_lun_task_cdb_spc_inquiry(void)
 	/* alloc_len >= 4096 */
 	task->cdb[3] = 0xFF;
 	task->cdb[4] = 0xFF;
-	task->rbuf = malloc(65536);
+	task->iov.iov_base = malloc(65536);
+	task->iov_flags |= SPDK_SCSI_TASK_ALLOC_BUFFER;
 	task->lun = NULL;
 
 	spdk_scsi_lun_append_task(NULL, task);
@@ -446,8 +445,8 @@ lun_append_task_null_lun_alloc_len_lt_4096(void)
 	task->cdb[4] = 0;
 	/* alloc_len is set to a minimal value of 4096
 	 * Hence, rbuf of size 4096 is allocated*/
-	task->rbuf = malloc(4096);
-
+	task->iov.iov_base = malloc(4096);
+	task->iov_flags |= SPDK_SCSI_TASK_ALLOC_BUFFER;
 	spdk_scsi_lun_append_task(NULL, task);
 
 	CU_ASSERT_EQUAL(task->status, SPDK_SCSI_STATUS_GOOD);
diff --git a/test/lib/scsi/scsi_bdev/scsi_bdev_ut.c b/test/lib/scsi/scsi_bdev/scsi_bdev_ut.c
index abe1e6ed6..36cc814b4 100644
--- a/test/lib/scsi/scsi_bdev/scsi_bdev_ut.c
+++ b/test/lib/scsi/scsi_bdev/scsi_bdev_ut.c
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ spdk_scsi_task_alloc_data(struct spdk_scsi_task *task, uint32_t alloc_len,
 	}
 
 	task->alloc_len = alloc_len;
-	*data = task->rbuf;
+	*data = task->iov.iov_base;
 }
 
 void
@@ -127,6 +127,14 @@ spdk_bdev_read(struct spdk_bdev *bdev, struct spdk_io_channel *ch,
 	return NULL;
 }
 
+struct spdk_bdev_io *
+spdk_bdev_readv(struct spdk_bdev *bdev, struct spdk_io_channel *ch,
+		struct iovec *iov, int iovcnt, uint64_t offset, uint64_t nbytes,
+		spdk_bdev_io_completion_cb cb, void *cb_arg)
+{
+	return NULL;
+}
+
 struct spdk_bdev_io *
 spdk_bdev_writev(struct spdk_bdev *bdev, struct spdk_io_channel *ch,
 		 struct iovec *iov, int iovcnt,
@@ -261,7 +269,7 @@ mode_sense_6_test(void)
 	lun.dev = &dev;
 	task.lun = &lun;
 
-	task.rbuf = data;
+	task.iov.iov_base = data;
 
 	rc = spdk_bdev_scsi_execute(&bdev, &task);
 	mode_data_len = data[0];
@@ -306,7 +314,7 @@ mode_sense_10_test(void)
 	lun.dev = &dev;
 	task.lun = &lun;
 
-	task.rbuf = data;
+	task.iov.iov_base = data;
 
 	rc = spdk_bdev_scsi_execute(&bdev, &task);
 	mode_data_len = ((data[0] << 8) + data[1]);
@@ -350,7 +358,7 @@ inquiry_evpd_test(void)
 	task.lun = &lun;
 
 	memset(data, 0, 4096);
-	task.rbuf = data;
+	task.iov.iov_base = data;
 
 	rc = spdk_bdev_scsi_execute(&bdev, &task);
 
@@ -394,7 +402,7 @@ inquiry_standard_test(void)
 	task.lun = &lun;
 
 	memset(data, 0, 4096);
-	task.rbuf = data;
+	task.iov.iov_base = data;
 
 	rc = spdk_bdev_scsi_execute(&bdev, &task);
 
@@ -433,7 +441,7 @@ _inquiry_overflow_test(uint8_t alloc_len)
 
 	memset(data, 0, sizeof(data));
 	memset(data_compare, 0, sizeof(data_compare));
-	task.rbuf = data;
+	task.iov.iov_base = data;
 
 	rc = spdk_bdev_scsi_execute(&bdev, &task);
 	CU_ASSERT_EQUAL(rc, 0);