diff --git a/include/spdk/nvme.h b/include/spdk/nvme.h
index a7433b1ca..2de252076 100644
--- a/include/spdk/nvme.h
+++ b/include/spdk/nvme.h
@@ -2678,11 +2678,10 @@ char *spdk_nvme_cuse_get_ns_name(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, uint32_t nsid);
  * for the CUSE device to function.
  *
  * \param ctrlr Opaque handle to the NVMe controller.
- * \param dev_path The path at which the device should appear. Ex. /dev/spdk/nvme0n1
  *
  * \return 0 on success. Negated errno on failure.
  */
-int spdk_nvme_cuse_register(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, const char *dev_path);
+int spdk_nvme_cuse_register(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr);
 
 /**
  * Remove a previously created character device (Experimental)
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_cuse.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_cuse.c
index b06e2065c..56d6e828a 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_cuse.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_cuse.c
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 
 struct cuse_device {
 	char				dev_name[128];
+	uint32_t			index;
 
 	struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr		*ctrlr;		/**< NVMe controller */
 	uint32_t			nsid;		/**< NVMe name space id, or 0 */
@@ -58,6 +59,7 @@ struct cuse_device {
 };
 
 static TAILQ_HEAD(, cuse_device) g_ctrlr_ctx_head = TAILQ_HEAD_INITIALIZER(g_ctrlr_ctx_head);
+static struct spdk_bit_array *g_ctrlr_started;
 
 struct cuse_io_ctx {
 	struct spdk_nvme_cmd	nvme_cmd;
@@ -680,6 +682,7 @@ static int
 cuse_nvme_ns_start(struct cuse_device *ctrlr_device, uint32_t nsid, const char *dev_path)
 {
 	struct cuse_device *ns_device;
+	int rv;
 
 	ns_device = (struct cuse_device *)calloc(1, sizeof(struct cuse_device));
 	if (!ns_device) {
@@ -690,8 +693,13 @@ cuse_nvme_ns_start(struct cuse_device *ctrlr_device, uint32_t nsid, const char *
 	ns_device->ctrlr = ctrlr_device->ctrlr;
 	ns_device->ctrlr_device = ctrlr_device;
 	ns_device->nsid = nsid;
-	snprintf(ns_device->dev_name, sizeof(ns_device->dev_name), "%sn%d",
-		 dev_path, ns_device->nsid);
+	rv = snprintf(ns_device->dev_name, sizeof(ns_device->dev_name), "%sn%d",
+		      dev_path, ns_device->nsid);
+	if (rv < 0) {
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("Device name too long.\n");
+		free(ns_device);
+		return -1;
+	}
 
 	if (pthread_create(&ns_device->tid, NULL, cuse_thread, ns_device)) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("pthread_create failed\n");
@@ -718,31 +726,53 @@ cuse_nvme_ctrlr_stop(struct cuse_device *ctrlr_device)
 	fuse_session_exit(ctrlr_device->session);
 	pthread_join(ctrlr_device->tid, NULL);
 	TAILQ_REMOVE(&g_ctrlr_ctx_head, ctrlr_device, tailq);
+	spdk_bit_array_clear(g_ctrlr_started, ctrlr_device->index);
+	if (spdk_bit_array_count_set(g_ctrlr_started) == 0) {
+		spdk_bit_array_free(&g_ctrlr_started);
+	}
 	free(ctrlr_device);
 }
 
 static int
-nvme_cuse_start(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, const char *dev_path)
+nvme_cuse_start(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr)
 {
 	uint32_t i, nsid;
+	int rv = 0;
 	struct cuse_device *ctrlr_device;
 
 	SPDK_NOTICELOG("Creating cuse device for controller\n");
 
+	if (g_ctrlr_started == NULL) {
+		g_ctrlr_started = spdk_bit_array_create(128);
+		if (g_ctrlr_started == NULL) {
+			SPDK_ERRLOG("Cannot create bit array\n");
+			return -1;
+		}
+	}
+
 	ctrlr_device = (struct cuse_device *)calloc(1, sizeof(struct cuse_device));
 	if (!ctrlr_device) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("Cannot allocate memory for ctrlr_device.");
-		return -ENOMEM;
+		rv = -ENOMEM;
+		goto err2;
 	}
 
 	TAILQ_INIT(&ctrlr_device->ns_devices);
 	ctrlr_device->ctrlr = ctrlr;
-	snprintf(ctrlr_device->dev_name, sizeof(ctrlr_device->dev_name), "%s", dev_path);
+
+	ctrlr_device->index = spdk_bit_array_find_first_clear(g_ctrlr_started, 0);
+	if (ctrlr_device->index == UINT32_MAX) {
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("Too many registered controllers\n");
+		goto err2;
+	}
+	spdk_bit_array_set(g_ctrlr_started, ctrlr_device->index);
+	snprintf(ctrlr_device->dev_name, sizeof(ctrlr_device->dev_name), "spdk/nvme%d",
+		 ctrlr_device->index);
 
 	if (pthread_create(&ctrlr_device->tid, NULL, cuse_thread, ctrlr_device)) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("pthread_create failed\n");
-		free(ctrlr_device);
-		return -1;
+		rv = -1;
+		goto err3;
 	}
 	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&g_ctrlr_ctx_head, ctrlr_device, tailq);
 
@@ -753,14 +783,24 @@ nvme_cuse_start(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, const char *dev_path)
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		if (cuse_nvme_ns_start(ctrlr_device, nsid, dev_path) < 0) {
+		if (cuse_nvme_ns_start(ctrlr_device, nsid, ctrlr_device->dev_name) < 0) {
 			SPDK_ERRLOG("Cannot start CUSE namespace device.");
 			cuse_nvme_ctrlr_stop(ctrlr_device);
-			return -1;
+			rv = -1;
+			goto err3;
 		}
 	}
 
 	return 0;
+
+err3:
+	spdk_bit_array_clear(g_ctrlr_started, ctrlr_device->index);
+err2:
+	free(ctrlr_device);
+	if (spdk_bit_array_count_set(g_ctrlr_started) == 0) {
+		spdk_bit_array_free(&g_ctrlr_started);
+	}
+	return rv;
 }
 
 static void
@@ -788,20 +828,16 @@ static struct nvme_io_msg_producer cuse_nvme_io_msg_producer = {
 };
 
 int
-spdk_nvme_cuse_register(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, const char *dev_path)
+spdk_nvme_cuse_register(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr)
 {
 	int rc;
 
-	if (dev_path == NULL) {
-		return -EINVAL;
-	}
-
 	rc = nvme_io_msg_ctrlr_register(ctrlr, &cuse_nvme_io_msg_producer);
 	if (rc) {
 		return rc;
 	}
 
-	rc = nvme_cuse_start(ctrlr, dev_path);
+	rc = nvme_cuse_start(ctrlr);
 	if (rc) {
 		nvme_io_msg_ctrlr_unregister(ctrlr, &cuse_nvme_io_msg_producer);
 	}
diff --git a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme_cuse_rpc.c b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme_cuse_rpc.c
index 69e2f64fc..a8765ec39 100644
--- a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme_cuse_rpc.c
+++ b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme_cuse_rpc.c
@@ -44,19 +44,16 @@
 
 struct rpc_nvme_cuse_register {
 	char *name;
-	char *dev_path;
 };
 
 static void
 free_rpc_nvme_cuse_register(struct rpc_nvme_cuse_register *req)
 {
 	free(req->name);
-	free(req->dev_path);
 }
 
 static const struct spdk_json_object_decoder rpc_nvme_cuse_register_decoders[] = {
 	{"name", offsetof(struct rpc_nvme_cuse_register, name), spdk_json_decode_string},
-	{"dev_path", offsetof(struct rpc_nvme_cuse_register, dev_path), spdk_json_decode_string},
 };
 
 static void
@@ -84,7 +81,7 @@ spdk_rpc_nvme_cuse_register(struct spdk_jsonrpc_request *request,
 		goto cleanup;
 	}
 
-	rc = spdk_nvme_cuse_register(bdev_ctrlr->ctrlr, req.dev_path);
+	rc = spdk_nvme_cuse_register(bdev_ctrlr->ctrlr);
 	if (rc) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("Failed to register CUSE devices\n");
 		spdk_jsonrpc_send_error_response(request, -rc, spdk_strerror(rc));
diff --git a/scripts/rpc.py b/scripts/rpc.py
index 49632bf60..702e22078 100755
--- a/scripts/rpc.py
+++ b/scripts/rpc.py
@@ -452,15 +452,12 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
 
     def bdev_nvme_cuse_register(args):
         rpc.bdev.bdev_nvme_cuse_register(args.client,
-                                         name=args.name,
-                                         dev_path=args.dev_path)
+                                         name=args.name)
 
     p = subparsers.add_parser('bdev_nvme_cuse_register',
                               help='Register CUSE devices on NVMe controller')
     p.add_argument('-n', '--name',
                    help='Name of the NVMe controller. Example: Nvme0', required=True)
-    p.add_argument('-p', '--dev_path',
-                   help='CUSE dev path including prefix: e.g. spdk/nvme0 will result: /dev/spdk/nvme0n1', required=True)
     p.set_defaults(func=bdev_nvme_cuse_register)
 
     def bdev_nvme_cuse_unregister(args):
diff --git a/scripts/rpc/bdev.py b/scripts/rpc/bdev.py
index 3377d968a..b2c54e0be 100644
--- a/scripts/rpc/bdev.py
+++ b/scripts/rpc/bdev.py
@@ -486,15 +486,13 @@ def bdev_nvme_detach_controller(client, name):
     return client.call('bdev_nvme_detach_controller', params)
 
 
-def bdev_nvme_cuse_register(client, name, dev_path):
+def bdev_nvme_cuse_register(client, name):
     """Register CUSE devices on NVMe controller.
 
     Args:
         name: Name of the operating NVMe controller
-        dev_path: CUSE dev path with dev prefix
     """
-    params = {'name': name,
-              'dev_path': dev_path}
+    params = {'name': name}
 
     return client.call('bdev_nvme_cuse_register', params)
 
diff --git a/test/nvme/spdk_nvme_cli_cuse.sh b/test/nvme/spdk_nvme_cli_cuse.sh
index dafc05038..60f4eec92 100755
--- a/test/nvme/spdk_nvme_cli_cuse.sh
+++ b/test/nvme/spdk_nvme_cli_cuse.sh
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ waitforlisten $spdk_tgt_pid
 bdf=$(iter_pci_class_code 01 08 02 | head -1)
 
 $rpc_py bdev_nvme_attach_controller -b Nvme0 -t PCIe -a ${bdf}
-$rpc_py bdev_nvme_cuse_register -n Nvme0 -p spdk/nvme0
+$rpc_py bdev_nvme_cuse_register -n Nvme0
 
 sleep 5
 
@@ -57,16 +57,16 @@ if [ -c /dev/spdk/nvme0 ]; then
 	return 1
 fi
 
-$rpc_py bdev_nvme_cuse_register -n Nvme0 -p spdk/nvme1
+$rpc_py bdev_nvme_cuse_register -n Nvme0
 sleep 1
 
-if [ ! -c /dev/spdk/nvme1 ]; then
+if [ ! -c /dev/spdk/nvme0 ]; then
 	return 1
 fi
 
 $rpc_py bdev_nvme_cuse_unregister -n Nvme0
 sleep 1
-if [ -c /dev/spdk/nvme1 ]; then
+if [ -c /dev/spdk/nvme0 ]; then
 	return 1
 fi