diff --git a/test/unit/lib/bdev/bdev_raid.c/bdev_raid_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/bdev/bdev_raid.c/bdev_raid_ut.c
index bb6722cea..916f9b772 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/bdev/bdev_raid.c/bdev_raid_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/bdev/bdev_raid.c/bdev_raid_ut.c
@@ -1165,11 +1165,11 @@ test_construct_raid(void)
 	struct rpc_destroy_raid_bdev destroy_req;
 
 	set_globals();
-	create_construct_req(&req, "raid1", 0, true, 0);
 	CU_ASSERT(raid_bdev_init() == 0);
 
 	verify_raid_config_present("raid1", false);
 	verify_raid_bdev_present("raid1", false);
+	create_construct_req(&req, "raid1", 0, true, 0);
 	spdk_rpc_construct_raid_bdev(NULL, NULL);
 	CU_ASSERT(g_rpc_err == 0);
 	verify_raid_config(&req, true);
@@ -1191,10 +1191,11 @@ test_destroy_raid(void)
 	struct rpc_destroy_raid_bdev destroy_req;
 
 	set_globals();
-	create_construct_req(&construct_req, "raid1", 0, true, 0);
 	CU_ASSERT(raid_bdev_init() == 0);
+
 	verify_raid_config_present("raid1", false);
 	verify_raid_bdev_present("raid1", false);
+	create_construct_req(&construct_req, "raid1", 0, true, 0);
 	spdk_rpc_construct_raid_bdev(NULL, NULL);
 	CU_ASSERT(g_rpc_err == 0);
 	verify_raid_config(&construct_req, true);
@@ -1222,9 +1223,9 @@ test_construct_raid_invalid_args(void)
 	set_globals();
 	CU_ASSERT(raid_bdev_init() == 0);
 
-	create_construct_req(&req, "raid1", 0, true, 0);
 	verify_raid_config_present("raid1", false);
 	verify_raid_bdev_present("raid1", false);
+	create_construct_req(&req, "raid1", 0, true, 0);
 	req.raid_level = 1;
 	spdk_rpc_construct_raid_bdev(NULL, NULL);
 	CU_ASSERT(g_rpc_err == 1);
@@ -1233,8 +1234,6 @@ test_construct_raid_invalid_args(void)
 	verify_raid_bdev_present("raid1", false);
 
 	create_construct_req(&req, "raid1", 0, false, 1);
-	verify_raid_config_present("raid1", false);
-	verify_raid_bdev_present("raid1", false);
 	spdk_rpc_construct_raid_bdev(NULL, NULL);
 	CU_ASSERT(g_rpc_err == 1);
 	free_test_req(&req);
@@ -1317,10 +1316,11 @@ test_destroy_raid_invalid_args(void)
 	struct rpc_destroy_raid_bdev destroy_req;
 
 	set_globals();
-	create_construct_req(&construct_req, "raid1", 0, true, 0);
 	CU_ASSERT(raid_bdev_init() == 0);
+
 	verify_raid_config_present("raid1", false);
 	verify_raid_bdev_present("raid1", false);
+	create_construct_req(&construct_req, "raid1", 0, true, 0);
 	spdk_rpc_construct_raid_bdev(NULL, NULL);
 	CU_ASSERT(g_rpc_err == 0);
 	verify_raid_config(&construct_req, true);
@@ -1359,9 +1359,9 @@ test_io_channel(void)
 	uint8_t i;
 
 	set_globals();
-	create_construct_req(&req, "raid1", 0, true, 0);
 	CU_ASSERT(raid_bdev_init() == 0);
 
+	create_construct_req(&req, "raid1", 0, true, 0);
 	verify_raid_config_present("raid1", false);
 	verify_raid_bdev_present("raid1", false);
 	spdk_rpc_construct_raid_bdev(NULL, NULL);
@@ -1412,8 +1412,9 @@ test_write_io(void)
 	uint64_t lba = 0;
 
 	set_globals();
-	create_construct_req(&req, "raid1", 0, true, 0);
 	CU_ASSERT(raid_bdev_init() == 0);
+
+	create_construct_req(&req, "raid1", 0, true, 0);
 	verify_raid_config_present("raid1", false);
 	verify_raid_bdev_present("raid1", false);
 	spdk_rpc_construct_raid_bdev(NULL, NULL);
@@ -1480,10 +1481,11 @@ test_read_io(void)
 	uint64_t lba;
 
 	set_globals();
-	create_construct_req(&req, "raid1", 0, true, 0);
 	CU_ASSERT(raid_bdev_init() == 0);
+
 	verify_raid_config_present("raid1", false);
 	verify_raid_bdev_present("raid1", false);
+	create_construct_req(&req, "raid1", 0, true, 0);
 	spdk_rpc_construct_raid_bdev(NULL, NULL);
 	CU_ASSERT(g_rpc_err == 0);
 	verify_raid_config(&req, true);
@@ -1624,10 +1626,11 @@ test_unmap_io(void)
 	uint64_t lba;
 
 	set_globals();
-	create_construct_req(&req, "raid1", 0, true, 0);
 	CU_ASSERT(raid_bdev_init() == 0);
+
 	verify_raid_config_present("raid1", false);
 	verify_raid_bdev_present("raid1", false);
+	create_construct_req(&req, "raid1", 0, true, 0);
 	spdk_rpc_construct_raid_bdev(NULL, NULL);
 	CU_ASSERT(g_rpc_err == 0);
 	verify_raid_config(&req, true);
@@ -1697,10 +1700,11 @@ test_io_failure(void)
 	uint64_t lba;
 
 	set_globals();
-	create_construct_req(&req, "raid1", 0, true, 0);
 	CU_ASSERT(raid_bdev_init() == 0);
+
 	verify_raid_config_present("raid1", false);
 	verify_raid_bdev_present("raid1", false);
+	create_construct_req(&req, "raid1", 0, true, 0);
 	spdk_rpc_construct_raid_bdev(NULL, NULL);
 	CU_ASSERT(g_rpc_err == 0);
 	verify_raid_config(&req, true);
@@ -1781,10 +1785,11 @@ test_reset_io(void)
 	struct spdk_bdev_io *bdev_io;
 
 	set_globals();
-	create_construct_req(&req, "raid1", 0, true, 0);
 	CU_ASSERT(raid_bdev_init() == 0);
+
 	verify_raid_config_present("raid1", false);
 	verify_raid_bdev_present("raid1", false);
+	create_construct_req(&req, "raid1", 0, true, 0);
 	spdk_rpc_construct_raid_bdev(NULL, NULL);
 	CU_ASSERT(g_rpc_err == 0);
 	verify_raid_config(&req, true);
@@ -1852,10 +1857,11 @@ test_io_waitq(void)
 	TAILQ_HEAD(, spdk_bdev_io) head_io;
 
 	set_globals();
-	create_construct_req(&req, "raid1", 0, true, 0);
 	CU_ASSERT(raid_bdev_init() == 0);
+
 	verify_raid_config_present("raid1", false);
 	verify_raid_bdev_present("raid1", false);
+	create_construct_req(&req, "raid1", 0, true, 0);
 	spdk_rpc_construct_raid_bdev(NULL, NULL);
 	CU_ASSERT(g_rpc_err == 0);
 	verify_raid_config(&req, true);
@@ -1934,9 +1940,9 @@ test_multi_raid_no_io(void)
 	CU_ASSERT(raid_bdev_init() == 0);
 	for (i = 0; i < g_max_raids; i++) {
 		snprintf(name, 16, "%s%u", "raid", i);
-		create_construct_req(&construct_req[i], name, bbdev_idx, true, 0);
 		verify_raid_config_present(name, false);
 		verify_raid_bdev_present(name, false);
+		create_construct_req(&construct_req[i], name, bbdev_idx, true, 0);
 		bbdev_idx += g_max_base_drives;
 		spdk_rpc_construct_raid_bdev(NULL, NULL);
 		CU_ASSERT(g_rpc_err == 0);
@@ -2032,9 +2038,9 @@ test_multi_raid_with_io(void)
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(ch != NULL);
 	for (i = 0; i < g_max_raids; i++) {
 		snprintf(name, 16, "%s%u", "raid", i);
-		create_construct_req(&construct_req[i], name, bbdev_idx, true, 0);
 		verify_raid_config_present(name, false);
 		verify_raid_bdev_present(name, false);
+		create_construct_req(&construct_req[i], name, bbdev_idx, true, 0);
 		bbdev_idx += g_max_base_drives;
 		spdk_rpc_construct_raid_bdev(NULL, NULL);
 		CU_ASSERT(g_rpc_err == 0);
@@ -2228,11 +2234,11 @@ test_raid_json_dump_info(void)
 	struct raid_bdev *pbdev;
 
 	set_globals();
-	create_construct_req(&req, "raid1", 0, true, 0);
 	CU_ASSERT(raid_bdev_init() == 0);
 
 	verify_raid_config_present("raid1", false);
 	verify_raid_bdev_present("raid1", false);
+	create_construct_req(&req, "raid1", 0, true, 0);
 	spdk_rpc_construct_raid_bdev(NULL, NULL);
 	CU_ASSERT(g_rpc_err == 0);
 	verify_raid_bdev(&req, true, RAID_BDEV_STATE_ONLINE);