diff --git a/lib/rocksdb/env_spdk.cc b/lib/rocksdb/env_spdk.cc
index 8f00a2c1c..42b8235ef 100644
--- a/lib/rocksdb/env_spdk.cc
+++ b/lib/rocksdb/env_spdk.cc
@@ -86,6 +86,18 @@ private:
 
 thread_local SpdkThreadCtx g_sync_args;
 
+static void
+set_channel()
+{
+	struct spdk_thread *thread;
+
+	if (g_fs != NULL && g_sync_args.channel == NULL) {
+		thread = spdk_thread_create("spdK_rocksdb", NULL);
+		spdk_set_thread(thread);
+		g_sync_args.channel = spdk_fs_alloc_thread_ctx(g_fs);
+	}
+}
+
 static void
 __call_fn(void *arg1, void *arg2)
 {
@@ -151,6 +163,7 @@ public:
 
 SpdkSequentialFile::~SpdkSequentialFile(void)
 {
+	set_channel();
 	spdk_file_close(mFile, g_sync_args.channel);
 }
 
@@ -159,6 +172,7 @@ SpdkSequentialFile::Read(size_t n, Slice *result, char *scratch)
 {
 	int64_t ret;
 
+	set_channel();
 	ret = spdk_file_read(mFile, g_sync_args.channel, scratch, mOffset, n);
 	if (ret >= 0) {
 		mOffset += ret;
@@ -197,6 +211,7 @@ public:
 
 SpdkRandomAccessFile::~SpdkRandomAccessFile(void)
 {
+	set_channel();
 	spdk_file_close(mFile, g_sync_args.channel);
 }
 
@@ -205,6 +220,7 @@ SpdkRandomAccessFile::Read(uint64_t offset, size_t n, Slice *result, char *scrat
 {
 	int64_t rc;
 
+	set_channel();
 	rc = spdk_file_read(mFile, g_sync_args.channel, scratch, offset, n);
 	if (rc >= 0) {
 		*result = Slice(scratch, n);
@@ -246,6 +262,8 @@ public:
 	virtual Status Truncate(uint64_t size) override
 	{
 		int rc;
+
+		set_channel();
 		rc = spdk_file_truncate(mFile, g_sync_args.channel, size);
 		if (!rc) {
 			mSize = size;
@@ -257,6 +275,7 @@ public:
 	}
 	virtual Status Close() override
 	{
+		set_channel();
 		spdk_file_close(mFile, g_sync_args.channel);
 		mFile = NULL;
 		return Status::OK();
@@ -270,6 +289,7 @@ public:
 	{
 		int rc;
 
+		set_channel();
 		rc = spdk_file_sync(mFile, g_sync_args.channel);
 		if (!rc) {
 			return Status::OK();
@@ -282,6 +302,7 @@ public:
 	{
 		int rc;
 
+		set_channel();
 		rc = spdk_file_sync(mFile, g_sync_args.channel);
 		if (!rc) {
 			return Status::OK();
@@ -307,6 +328,7 @@ public:
 	{
 		int rc;
 
+		set_channel();
 		rc = spdk_file_truncate(mFile, g_sync_args.channel, offset + len);
 		if (!rc) {
 			return Status::OK();
@@ -324,6 +346,7 @@ public:
 		 * SPDK BlobFS does not have a range sync operation yet, so just sync
 		 *  the whole file.
 		 */
+		set_channel();
 		rc = spdk_file_sync(mFile, g_sync_args.channel);
 		if (!rc) {
 			return Status::OK();
@@ -350,6 +373,7 @@ SpdkWritableFile::Append(const Slice &data)
 {
 	int64_t rc;
 
+	set_channel();
 	rc = spdk_file_write(mFile, g_sync_args.channel, (void *)data.data(), mSize, data.size());
 	if (rc >= 0) {
 		mSize += data.size();
@@ -400,6 +424,7 @@ public:
 			int rc;
 
 			std::string name = sanitize_path(fname, mDirectory);
+			set_channel();
 			rc = spdk_fs_open_file(g_fs, g_sync_args.channel,
 					       name.c_str(), 0, &file);
 			if (rc == 0) {
@@ -427,6 +452,7 @@ public:
 			struct spdk_file *file;
 			int rc;
 
+			set_channel();
 			rc = spdk_fs_open_file(g_fs, g_sync_args.channel,
 					       name.c_str(), 0, &file);
 			if (rc == 0) {
@@ -450,6 +476,7 @@ public:
 			struct spdk_file *file;
 			int rc;
 
+			set_channel();
 			rc = spdk_fs_open_file(g_fs, g_sync_args.channel, name.c_str(),
 					       SPDK_BLOBFS_OPEN_CREATE, &file);
 			if (rc == 0) {
@@ -484,6 +511,7 @@ public:
 		int rc;
 		std::string name = sanitize_path(fname, mDirectory);
 
+		set_channel();
 		rc = spdk_fs_file_stat(g_fs, g_sync_args.channel, name.c_str(), &stat);
 		if (rc == 0) {
 			return Status::OK();
@@ -496,6 +524,7 @@ public:
 		std::string src_name = sanitize_path(src, mDirectory);
 		std::string target_name = sanitize_path(t, mDirectory);
 
+		set_channel();
 		rc = spdk_fs_rename_file(g_fs, g_sync_args.channel,
 					 src_name.c_str(), target_name.c_str());
 		if (rc == -ENOENT) {
@@ -514,6 +543,7 @@ public:
 		int rc;
 		std::string name = sanitize_path(fname, mDirectory);
 
+		set_channel();
 		rc = spdk_fs_file_stat(g_fs, g_sync_args.channel, name.c_str(), &stat);
 		if (rc == -ENOENT) {
 			return EnvWrapper::GetFileSize(fname, size);
@@ -526,6 +556,7 @@ public:
 		int rc;
 		std::string name = sanitize_path(fname, mDirectory);
 
+		set_channel();
 		rc = spdk_fs_delete_file(g_fs, g_sync_args.channel, name.c_str());
 		if (rc == -ENOENT) {
 			return EnvWrapper::DeleteFile(fname);
@@ -537,6 +568,7 @@ public:
 		std::string name = sanitize_path(fname, mDirectory);
 		int64_t rc;
 
+		set_channel();
 		rc = spdk_fs_open_file(g_fs, g_sync_args.channel, name.c_str(),
 				       SPDK_BLOBFS_OPEN_CREATE, (struct spdk_file **)lock);
 		if (!rc) {
@@ -548,6 +580,7 @@ public:
 	}
 	virtual Status UnlockFile(FileLock *lock) override
 	{
+		set_channel();
 		spdk_file_close((struct spdk_file *)lock, g_sync_args.channel);
 		return Status::OK();
 	}