diff --git a/include/spdk/bdev_module.h b/include/spdk/bdev_module.h
index 596fd2910..c87411fc8 100644
--- a/include/spdk/bdev_module.h
+++ b/include/spdk/bdev_module.h
@@ -607,6 +607,9 @@ struct spdk_bdev_io {
 			/** Starting offset (in blocks) of the bdev for this I/O. */
 			uint64_t offset_blocks;
 
+			/** Pointer to user's ext opts to be used by bdev modules */
+			struct spdk_bdev_ext_io_opts *ext_opts;
+
 			/** stored user callback in case we split the I/O and use a temporary callback */
 			spdk_bdev_io_completion_cb stored_user_cb;
 
diff --git a/lib/bdev/bdev.c b/lib/bdev/bdev.c
index aa7662441..395e3779f 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/bdev.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/bdev.c
@@ -4013,6 +4013,7 @@ bdev_read_blocks_with_md(struct spdk_bdev_desc *desc, struct spdk_io_channel *ch
 	bdev_io->u.bdev.md_buf = md_buf;
 	bdev_io->u.bdev.num_blocks = num_blocks;
 	bdev_io->u.bdev.offset_blocks = offset_blocks;
+	bdev_io->u.bdev.ext_opts = NULL;
 	bdev_io_init(bdev_io, bdev, cb_arg, cb);
 
 	bdev_io_submit(bdev_io);
@@ -4108,6 +4109,7 @@ bdev_readv_blocks_with_md(struct spdk_bdev_desc *desc, struct spdk_io_channel *c
 	bdev_io->u.bdev.offset_blocks = offset_blocks;
 	bdev_io_init(bdev_io, bdev, cb_arg, cb);
 	bdev_io->internal.ext_opts = opts;
+	bdev_io->u.bdev.ext_opts = opts;
 
 	bdev_io_submit(bdev_io);
 	return 0;
@@ -4197,6 +4199,7 @@ bdev_write_blocks_with_md(struct spdk_bdev_desc *desc, struct spdk_io_channel *c
 	bdev_io->u.bdev.md_buf = md_buf;
 	bdev_io->u.bdev.num_blocks = num_blocks;
 	bdev_io->u.bdev.offset_blocks = offset_blocks;
+	bdev_io->u.bdev.ext_opts = NULL;
 	bdev_io_init(bdev_io, bdev, cb_arg, cb);
 
 	bdev_io_submit(bdev_io);
@@ -4282,6 +4285,7 @@ bdev_writev_blocks_with_md(struct spdk_bdev_desc *desc, struct spdk_io_channel *
 	bdev_io->u.bdev.offset_blocks = offset_blocks;
 	bdev_io_init(bdev_io, bdev, cb_arg, cb);
 	bdev_io->internal.ext_opts = opts;
+	bdev_io->u.bdev.ext_opts = opts;
 
 	bdev_io_submit(bdev_io);
 	return 0;
diff --git a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
index 9bfd30745..5bde7a5e2 100644
--- a/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
+++ b/module/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c
@@ -1954,7 +1954,7 @@ bdev_nvme_get_buf_cb(struct spdk_io_channel *ch, struct spdk_bdev_io *bdev_io,
 			      bdev_io->u.bdev.num_blocks,
 			      bdev_io->u.bdev.offset_blocks,
 			      bdev->dif_check_flags,
-			      bdev_io->internal.ext_opts);
+			      bdev_io->u.bdev.ext_opts);
 
 exit:
 	if (spdk_unlikely(ret != 0)) {
@@ -1993,7 +1993,7 @@ bdev_nvme_submit_request(struct spdk_io_channel *ch, struct spdk_bdev_io *bdev_i
 					     bdev_io->u.bdev.num_blocks,
 					     bdev_io->u.bdev.offset_blocks,
 					     bdev->dif_check_flags,
-					     bdev_io->internal.ext_opts);
+					     bdev_io->u.bdev.ext_opts);
 		} else {
 			spdk_bdev_io_get_buf(bdev_io, bdev_nvme_get_buf_cb,
 					     bdev_io->u.bdev.num_blocks * bdev->blocklen);
@@ -2008,7 +2008,7 @@ bdev_nvme_submit_request(struct spdk_io_channel *ch, struct spdk_bdev_io *bdev_i
 				      bdev_io->u.bdev.num_blocks,
 				      bdev_io->u.bdev.offset_blocks,
 				      bdev->dif_check_flags,
-				      bdev_io->internal.ext_opts);
+				      bdev_io->u.bdev.ext_opts);
 		break;
 	case SPDK_BDEV_IO_TYPE_COMPARE:
 		rc = bdev_nvme_comparev(nbdev_io,
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c/bdev_nvme_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c/bdev_nvme_ut.c
index 95d17d691..a79954f74 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c/bdev_nvme_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/bdev/nvme/bdev_nvme.c/bdev_nvme_ut.c
@@ -2265,7 +2265,7 @@ test_submit_nvme_cmd(void)
 	ut_test_submit_fused_nvme_cmd(ch, bdev_io);
 
 	/* Verify that ext NVME API is called if bdev_io ext_opts is set */
-	bdev_io->internal.ext_opts = &ext_io_opts;
+	bdev_io->u.bdev.ext_opts = &ext_io_opts;
 	g_ut_readv_ext_called = false;
 	ut_test_submit_nvme_cmd(ch, bdev_io, SPDK_BDEV_IO_TYPE_READ);
 	CU_ASSERT(g_ut_readv_ext_called == true);
@@ -2275,7 +2275,7 @@ test_submit_nvme_cmd(void)
 	ut_test_submit_nvme_cmd(ch, bdev_io, SPDK_BDEV_IO_TYPE_WRITE);
 	CU_ASSERT(g_ut_writev_ext_called == true);
 	g_ut_writev_ext_called = false;
-	bdev_io->internal.ext_opts = NULL;
+	bdev_io->u.bdev.ext_opts = NULL;
 
 	ut_test_submit_admin_cmd(ch, bdev_io, ctrlr);