diff --git a/module/event/subsystems/nvmf/conf.c b/module/event/subsystems/nvmf/conf.c
index 70058c524..d10b5f52a 100644
--- a/module/event/subsystems/nvmf/conf.c
+++ b/module/event/subsystems/nvmf/conf.c
@@ -43,8 +43,6 @@
 
 #define SPDK_NVMF_MAX_NAMESPACES (1 << 14)
 
-uint32_t g_spdk_nvmf_tgt_max_subsystems = 0;
-
 static int
 nvmf_add_discovery_subsystem(void)
 {
@@ -161,10 +159,6 @@ nvmf_parse_nvmf_tgt(void)
 {
 	int rc;
 	int using_deprecated_options;
-	struct spdk_nvmf_target_opts opts = {
-		.name = "nvmf_tgt",
-		.max_subsystems = 0
-	};
 
 	if (!g_spdk_nvmf_tgt_max_subsystems) {
 		using_deprecated_options = nvmf_parse_tgt_max_subsystems();
@@ -178,22 +172,13 @@ nvmf_parse_nvmf_tgt(void)
 		}
 	}
 
+	/* max_subsystems and acceptor_poll_rate options from config file are now disregarded.
+	 * The function bellow does practically nothing. */
 	if (nvmf_parse_tgt_conf() != 0) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("nvmf_parse_tgt_conf() failed\n");
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	opts.max_subsystems = g_spdk_nvmf_tgt_max_subsystems;
-	opts.acceptor_poll_rate = g_spdk_nvmf_tgt_conf.acceptor_poll_rate;
-	g_spdk_nvmf_tgt = spdk_nvmf_tgt_create(&opts);
-
-	g_spdk_nvmf_tgt_max_subsystems = 0;
-
-	if (!g_spdk_nvmf_tgt) {
-		SPDK_ERRLOG("spdk_nvmf_tgt_create() failed\n");
-		return -1;
-	}
-
 	rc = nvmf_add_discovery_subsystem();
 	if (rc != 0) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("nvmf_add_discovery_subsystem failed\n");
diff --git a/module/event/subsystems/nvmf/nvmf_tgt.c b/module/event/subsystems/nvmf/nvmf_tgt.c
index 70be97560..eff1c7e61 100644
--- a/module/event/subsystems/nvmf/nvmf_tgt.c
+++ b/module/event/subsystems/nvmf/nvmf_tgt.c
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ struct spdk_nvmf_tgt_conf g_spdk_nvmf_tgt_conf = {
 };
 
 struct spdk_nvmf_tgt *g_spdk_nvmf_tgt = NULL;
+uint32_t g_spdk_nvmf_tgt_max_subsystems = 0;
 
 static enum nvmf_tgt_state g_tgt_state;
 
@@ -264,11 +265,28 @@ nvmf_tgt_parse_conf_done(int status)
 static void
 nvmf_tgt_parse_conf_start(void *ctx)
 {
+	struct spdk_nvmf_target_opts opts = {
+		.name = "nvmf_tgt"
+	};
+
+	opts.max_subsystems = g_spdk_nvmf_tgt_max_subsystems;
+	opts.acceptor_poll_rate = g_spdk_nvmf_tgt_conf.acceptor_poll_rate;
+	g_spdk_nvmf_tgt = spdk_nvmf_tgt_create(&opts);
+	if (!g_spdk_nvmf_tgt) {
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("spdk_nvmf_tgt_create() failed\n");
+		goto error;
+	}
+
 	if (nvmf_parse_conf(nvmf_tgt_parse_conf_done)) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("nvmf_parse_conf() failed\n");
-		g_tgt_state = NVMF_TGT_ERROR;
-		nvmf_tgt_advance_state();
+		goto error;
 	}
+
+	return;
+
+error:
+	g_tgt_state = NVMF_TGT_ERROR;
+	nvmf_tgt_advance_state();
 }
 
 static void