diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 9b705a868..b23080cf2 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@ to be performed on the thread at given time.
 An new API `spdk_bdev_get_data_block_size` has been added to get size of data
 block except for metadata.
 
+spdk_vbdev_register() has been deprecated.  spdk_bdev_register() should be used
+instead.
+
 ### NVMe-oF Target
 
 Support for per-device shared receive queues in the RDMA transport has been added.
diff --git a/include/spdk/bdev_module.h b/include/spdk/bdev_module.h
index 79b06b65a..a69734895 100644
--- a/include/spdk/bdev_module.h
+++ b/include/spdk/bdev_module.h
@@ -603,6 +603,10 @@ void spdk_bdev_destruct_done(struct spdk_bdev *bdev, int bdeverrno);
 /**
  * Register a virtual bdev.
  *
+ * This function is deprecated.  Users should call spdk_bdev_register instead.
+ * The bdev layer currently makes no use of the base_bdevs array, so switching
+ * to spdk_bdev_register results in no loss of functionality.
+ *
  * \param vbdev Virtual bdev to register.
  * \param base_bdevs Array of bdevs upon which this vbdev is based.
  * \param base_bdev_count Number of bdevs in base_bdevs.
diff --git a/lib/bdev/bdev.c b/lib/bdev/bdev.c
index e02cf4c56..8bb758463 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/bdev.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/bdev.c
@@ -3758,16 +3758,8 @@ spdk_bdev_register(struct spdk_bdev *bdev)
 int
 spdk_vbdev_register(struct spdk_bdev *vbdev, struct spdk_bdev **base_bdevs, int base_bdev_count)
 {
-	int rc;
-
-	rc = spdk_bdev_init(vbdev);
-	if (rc) {
-		return rc;
-	}
-
-	spdk_bdev_start(vbdev);
-	spdk_notify_send("bdev_register", spdk_bdev_get_name(vbdev));
-	return 0;
+	SPDK_ERRLOG("This function is deprecated.  Use spdk_bdev_register() instead.\n");
+	return spdk_bdev_register(vbdev);
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/lib/bdev/compress/vbdev_compress.c b/lib/bdev/compress/vbdev_compress.c
index 4f16322c7..8b2541416 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/compress/vbdev_compress.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/compress/vbdev_compress.c
@@ -1234,17 +1234,17 @@ vbdev_compress_claim(struct vbdev_compress *comp_bdev)
 		goto error_claim;
 	}
 
-	rc = spdk_vbdev_register(&comp_bdev->comp_bdev, &comp_bdev->base_bdev, 1);
+	rc = spdk_bdev_register(&comp_bdev->comp_bdev);
 	if (rc < 0) {
-		SPDK_ERRLOG("trying to register vbdev\n");
-		goto error_vbdev_register;
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("trying to register bdev\n");
+		goto error_bdev_register;
 	}
 
 	SPDK_NOTICELOG("registered io_device and virtual bdev for: %s\n", comp_bdev->comp_bdev.name);
 
 	return;
 	/* Error cleanup paths. */
-error_vbdev_register:
+error_bdev_register:
 	spdk_bdev_module_release_bdev(comp_bdev->base_bdev);
 error_claim:
 	TAILQ_REMOVE(&g_vbdev_comp, comp_bdev, link);
diff --git a/lib/bdev/crypto/vbdev_crypto.c b/lib/bdev/crypto/vbdev_crypto.c
index 87737347e..1e6b2343e 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/crypto/vbdev_crypto.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/crypto/vbdev_crypto.c
@@ -1605,11 +1605,11 @@ vbdev_crypto_claim(struct spdk_bdev *bdev)
 			goto error_session_init;
 		}
 
-		rc = spdk_vbdev_register(&vbdev->crypto_bdev, &vbdev->base_bdev, 1);
+		rc = spdk_bdev_register(&vbdev->crypto_bdev);
 		if (rc < 0) {
-			SPDK_ERRLOG("ERROR trying to register vbdev\n");
+			SPDK_ERRLOG("ERROR trying to register bdev\n");
 			rc = -EINVAL;
-			goto error_vbdev_register;
+			goto error_bdev_register;
 		}
 		SPDK_DEBUGLOG(SPDK_LOG_VBDEV_crypto, "registered io_device and virtual bdev for: %s\n",
 			      name->vbdev_name);
@@ -1619,7 +1619,7 @@ vbdev_crypto_claim(struct spdk_bdev *bdev)
 	return rc;
 
 	/* Error cleanup paths. */
-error_vbdev_register:
+error_bdev_register:
 error_session_init:
 	rte_cryptodev_sym_session_free(vbdev->session_decrypt);
 error_session_de_create:
diff --git a/lib/bdev/lvol/vbdev_lvol.c b/lib/bdev/lvol/vbdev_lvol.c
index f41c5da7a..9793a5b1e 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/lvol/vbdev_lvol.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/lvol/vbdev_lvol.c
@@ -967,7 +967,7 @@ _create_lvol_disk(struct spdk_lvol *lvol, bool destroy)
 	bdev->fn_table = &vbdev_lvol_fn_table;
 	bdev->module = &g_lvol_if;
 
-	rc = spdk_vbdev_register(bdev, &lvs_bdev->bdev, 1);
+	rc = spdk_bdev_register(bdev);
 	if (rc) {
 		free(bdev);
 		return rc;
diff --git a/lib/bdev/part.c b/lib/bdev/part.c
index 99fd368a3..5ee06ac7c 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/part.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/part.c
@@ -367,7 +367,7 @@ spdk_bdev_part_construct(struct spdk_bdev_part *part, struct spdk_bdev_part_base
 				base->channel_size,
 				name);
 
-	spdk_vbdev_register(&part->internal.bdev, &base->bdev, 1);
+	spdk_bdev_register(&part->internal.bdev);
 	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(base->tailq, part, tailq);
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/lib/bdev/passthru/vbdev_passthru.c b/lib/bdev/passthru/vbdev_passthru.c
index f97810d49..47e4ccc0a 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/passthru/vbdev_passthru.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/passthru/vbdev_passthru.c
@@ -630,7 +630,7 @@ vbdev_passthru_register(struct spdk_bdev *bdev)
 		}
 		SPDK_NOTICELOG("bdev claimed\n");
 
-		rc = spdk_vbdev_register(&pt_node->pt_bdev, &bdev, 1);
+		rc = spdk_bdev_register(&pt_node->pt_bdev);
 		if (rc) {
 			SPDK_ERRLOG("could not register pt_bdev\n");
 			spdk_bdev_close(pt_node->base_desc);
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/bdev/bdev.c/bdev_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/bdev/bdev.c/bdev_ut.c
index ff52a05dc..dcdd90296 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/bdev/bdev.c/bdev_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/bdev/bdev.c/bdev_ut.c
@@ -330,10 +330,9 @@ allocate_bdev(char *name)
 }
 
 static struct spdk_bdev *
-allocate_vbdev(char *name, struct spdk_bdev *base1, struct spdk_bdev *base2)
+allocate_vbdev(char *name)
 {
 	struct spdk_bdev *bdev;
-	struct spdk_bdev *array[2];
 	int rc;
 
 	bdev = calloc(1, sizeof(*bdev));
@@ -343,13 +342,7 @@ allocate_vbdev(char *name, struct spdk_bdev *base1, struct spdk_bdev *base2)
 	bdev->fn_table = &fn_table;
 	bdev->module = &vbdev_ut_if;
 
-	/* vbdev must have at least one base bdev */
-	CU_ASSERT(base1 != NULL);
-
-	array[0] = base1;
-	array[1] = base2;
-
-	rc = spdk_vbdev_register(bdev, array, base2 == NULL ? 1 : 2);
+	rc = spdk_bdev_register(bdev);
 	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
 
 	return bdev;
@@ -464,19 +457,19 @@ open_write_test(void)
 	rc = spdk_bdev_module_claim_bdev(bdev[3], NULL, &bdev_ut_if);
 	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
 
-	bdev[4] = allocate_vbdev("bdev4", bdev[0], bdev[1]);
+	bdev[4] = allocate_vbdev("bdev4");
 	rc = spdk_bdev_module_claim_bdev(bdev[4], NULL, &bdev_ut_if);
 	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
 
-	bdev[5] = allocate_vbdev("bdev5", bdev[2], NULL);
+	bdev[5] = allocate_vbdev("bdev5");
 	rc = spdk_bdev_module_claim_bdev(bdev[5], NULL, &bdev_ut_if);
 	CU_ASSERT(rc == 0);
 
-	bdev[6] = allocate_vbdev("bdev6", bdev[2], NULL);
+	bdev[6] = allocate_vbdev("bdev6");
 
-	bdev[7] = allocate_vbdev("bdev7", bdev[2], bdev[3]);
+	bdev[7] = allocate_vbdev("bdev7");
 
-	bdev[8] = allocate_vbdev("bdev8", bdev[4], bdev[5]);
+	bdev[8] = allocate_vbdev("bdev8");
 
 	/* Open bdev0 read-only.  This should succeed. */
 	rc = spdk_bdev_open(bdev[0], false, NULL, NULL, &desc[0]);
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/bdev/compress.c/compress_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/bdev/compress.c/compress_ut.c
index b3037664d..970c4828d 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/bdev/compress.c/compress_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/bdev/compress.c/compress_ut.c
@@ -129,8 +129,7 @@ DEFINE_STUB(spdk_bdev_open, int, (struct spdk_bdev *bdev, bool write,
 DEFINE_STUB(spdk_bdev_module_claim_bdev, int, (struct spdk_bdev *bdev, struct spdk_bdev_desc *desc,
 		struct spdk_bdev_module *module), 0);
 DEFINE_STUB_V(spdk_bdev_module_examine_done, (struct spdk_bdev_module *module));
-DEFINE_STUB(spdk_vbdev_register, int, (struct spdk_bdev *vbdev, struct spdk_bdev **base_bdevs,
-				       int base_bdev_count), 0);
+DEFINE_STUB(spdk_bdev_register, int, (struct spdk_bdev *bdev), 0);
 DEFINE_STUB(spdk_bdev_get_by_name, struct spdk_bdev *, (const char *bdev_name), NULL);
 DEFINE_STUB(spdk_env_get_socket_id, uint32_t, (uint32_t core), 0);
 DEFINE_STUB_V(spdk_reduce_vol_readv, (struct spdk_reduce_vol *vol,
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/bdev/crypto.c/crypto_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/bdev/crypto.c/crypto_ut.c
index a5a9dd96f..c0674077c 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/bdev/crypto.c/crypto_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/bdev/crypto.c/crypto_ut.c
@@ -162,8 +162,7 @@ DEFINE_STUB(spdk_bdev_open, int, (struct spdk_bdev *bdev, bool write,
 DEFINE_STUB(spdk_bdev_module_claim_bdev, int, (struct spdk_bdev *bdev, struct spdk_bdev_desc *desc,
 		struct spdk_bdev_module *module), 0);
 DEFINE_STUB_V(spdk_bdev_module_examine_done, (struct spdk_bdev_module *module));
-DEFINE_STUB(spdk_vbdev_register, int, (struct spdk_bdev *vbdev, struct spdk_bdev **base_bdevs,
-				       int base_bdev_count), 0);
+DEFINE_STUB(spdk_bdev_register, int, (struct spdk_bdev *vbdev), 0);
 DEFINE_STUB(spdk_env_get_socket_id, uint32_t, (uint32_t core), 0);
 
 /* DPDK stubs */
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/bdev/vbdev_lvol.c/vbdev_lvol_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/bdev/vbdev_lvol.c/vbdev_lvol_ut.c
index 30af336e0..4811d8147 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/bdev/vbdev_lvol.c/vbdev_lvol_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/bdev/vbdev_lvol.c/vbdev_lvol_ut.c
@@ -550,7 +550,7 @@ spdk_bdev_get_name(const struct spdk_bdev *bdev)
 }
 
 int
-spdk_vbdev_register(struct spdk_bdev *vbdev, struct spdk_bdev **base_bdevs, int base_bdev_count)
+spdk_bdev_register(struct spdk_bdev *vbdev)
 {
 	TAILQ_INIT(&vbdev->aliases);