diff --git a/lib/reduce/reduce.c b/lib/reduce/reduce.c
index 5fa10f47e..45b773900 100644
--- a/lib/reduce/reduce.c
+++ b/lib/reduce/reduce.c
@@ -205,7 +205,8 @@ spdk_reduce_vol_init(struct spdk_reduce_vol_params *params,
 		return;
 	}
 
-	if (backing_dev->close == NULL) {
+	if (backing_dev->close == NULL || backing_dev->readv == NULL ||
+	    backing_dev->writev == NULL || backing_dev->unmap == NULL) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("backing_dev function pointer not specified\n");
 		cb_fn(cb_arg, NULL, -EINVAL);
 		return;
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/reduce/reduce.c/reduce_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/reduce/reduce.c/reduce_ut.c
index 37b255402..b28b120bb 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/reduce/reduce.c/reduce_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/reduce/reduce.c/reduce_ut.c
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ static int g_ziperrno;
 static char *g_volatile_pm_buf;
 static char *g_persistent_pm_buf;
 static bool g_backing_dev_closed;
+static char *g_backing_dev_buf;
 
 static void
 sync_pm_buf(const void *addr, size_t length)
@@ -241,18 +242,78 @@ init_failure(void)
 	pm_file_destroy();
 }
 
+static void
+backing_dev_readv(struct spdk_reduce_backing_dev *backing_dev, struct iovec *iov, int iovcnt,
+		  uint64_t lba, uint32_t lba_count, struct spdk_reduce_vol_cb_args *args)
+{
+	char *offset;
+	int i;
+
+	offset = g_backing_dev_buf + lba * backing_dev->blocklen;
+	for (i = 0; i < iovcnt; i++) {
+		memcpy(iov[i].iov_base, offset, iov[i].iov_len);
+		offset += iov[i].iov_len;
+	}
+	args->cb_fn(args->cb_arg, 0);
+}
+
+static void
+backing_dev_writev(struct spdk_reduce_backing_dev *backing_dev, struct iovec *iov, int iovcnt,
+		   uint64_t lba, uint32_t lba_count, struct spdk_reduce_vol_cb_args *args)
+{
+	char *offset;
+	int i;
+
+	offset = g_backing_dev_buf + lba * backing_dev->blocklen;
+	for (i = 0; i < iovcnt; i++) {
+		memcpy(offset, iov[i].iov_base, iov[i].iov_len);
+		offset += iov[i].iov_len;
+	}
+	args->cb_fn(args->cb_arg, 0);
+}
+
+static void
+backing_dev_unmap(struct spdk_reduce_backing_dev *backing_dev,
+		  uint64_t lba, uint32_t lba_count, struct spdk_reduce_vol_cb_args *args)
+{
+	char *offset;
+
+	offset = g_backing_dev_buf + lba * backing_dev->blocklen;
+	memset(offset, 0, lba_count * backing_dev->blocklen);
+	args->cb_fn(args->cb_arg, 0);
+}
+
 static void
 backing_dev_close(struct spdk_reduce_backing_dev *backing_dev)
 {
 	g_backing_dev_closed = true;
 }
 
+static void
+backing_dev_destroy(struct spdk_reduce_backing_dev *backing_dev)
+{
+	/* We don't free this during backing_dev_close so that we can test init/unload/load
+	 *  scenarios.
+	 */
+	free(g_backing_dev_buf);
+	g_backing_dev_buf = NULL;
+}
+
 static void
 backing_dev_init(struct spdk_reduce_backing_dev *backing_dev, struct spdk_reduce_vol_params *params)
 {
+	int64_t size;
+
+	size = spdk_reduce_get_backing_device_size(params);
 	backing_dev->blocklen = params->backing_io_unit_size;
-	backing_dev->blockcnt = spdk_reduce_get_backing_device_size(params) / backing_dev->blocklen;
+	backing_dev->blockcnt = size / backing_dev->blocklen;
+	backing_dev->readv = backing_dev_readv;
+	backing_dev->writev = backing_dev_writev;
+	backing_dev->unmap = backing_dev_unmap;
 	backing_dev->close = backing_dev_close;
+
+	g_backing_dev_buf = calloc(1, size);
+	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(g_backing_dev_buf != NULL);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -289,6 +350,7 @@ init_md(void)
 	CU_ASSERT(g_volatile_pm_buf == NULL);
 
 	pm_file_destroy();
+	backing_dev_destroy(&backing_dev);
 }
 
 int