diff --git a/include/spdk_internal/event.h b/include/spdk_internal/event.h
index 6f0c1fe87..004ead609 100644
--- a/include/spdk_internal/event.h
+++ b/include/spdk_internal/event.h
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ struct spdk_subsystem {
 TAILQ_HEAD(spdk_subsystem_list, spdk_subsystem);
 extern struct spdk_subsystem_list g_subsystems;
 
-struct spdk_subsystem *spdk_subsystem_find(struct spdk_subsystem_list *list, const char *name);
+struct spdk_subsystem *spdk_subsystem_find(const char *name);
 
 struct spdk_subsystem_depend {
 	const char *name;
diff --git a/lib/event/subsystem.c b/lib/event/subsystem.c
index 6451336da..eef40ef9a 100644
--- a/lib/event/subsystem.c
+++ b/lib/event/subsystem.c
@@ -62,8 +62,8 @@ spdk_add_subsystem_depend(struct spdk_subsystem_depend *depend)
 	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&g_subsystems_deps, depend, tailq);
 }
 
-struct spdk_subsystem *
-spdk_subsystem_find(struct spdk_subsystem_list *list, const char *name)
+static struct spdk_subsystem *
+_subsystem_find(struct spdk_subsystem_list *list, const char *name)
 {
 	struct spdk_subsystem *iter;
 
@@ -76,6 +76,12 @@ spdk_subsystem_find(struct spdk_subsystem_list *list, const char *name)
 	return NULL;
 }
 
+struct spdk_subsystem *
+spdk_subsystem_find(const char *name)
+{
+	return _subsystem_find(&g_subsystems, name);
+}
+
 static void
 subsystem_sort(void)
 {
@@ -91,7 +97,7 @@ subsystem_sort(void)
 			TAILQ_FOREACH(subsystem_dep, &g_subsystems_deps, tailq) {
 				if (strcmp(subsystem->name, subsystem_dep->name) == 0) {
 					depends_on = true;
-					depends_on_sorted = !!spdk_subsystem_find(&subsystems_list, subsystem_dep->depends_on);
+					depends_on_sorted = !!_subsystem_find(&subsystems_list, subsystem_dep->depends_on);
 					if (depends_on_sorted) {
 						continue;
 					}
@@ -160,12 +166,12 @@ spdk_subsystem_init(spdk_subsystem_init_fn cb_fn, void *cb_arg)
 
 	/* Verify that all dependency name and depends_on subsystems are registered */
 	TAILQ_FOREACH(dep, &g_subsystems_deps, tailq) {
-		if (!spdk_subsystem_find(&g_subsystems, dep->name)) {
+		if (!spdk_subsystem_find(dep->name)) {
 			SPDK_ERRLOG("subsystem %s is missing\n", dep->name);
 			g_subsystem_start_fn(-1, g_subsystem_start_arg);
 			return;
 		}
-		if (!spdk_subsystem_find(&g_subsystems, dep->depends_on)) {
+		if (!spdk_subsystem_find(dep->depends_on)) {
 			SPDK_ERRLOG("subsystem %s dependency %s is missing\n",
 				    dep->name, dep->depends_on);
 			g_subsystem_start_fn(-1, g_subsystem_start_arg);
diff --git a/module/event/rpc/subsystem_rpc.c b/module/event/rpc/subsystem_rpc.c
index fa18013ed..edc9669bf 100644
--- a/module/event/rpc/subsystem_rpc.c
+++ b/module/event/rpc/subsystem_rpc.c
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ spdk_rpc_framework_get_config(struct spdk_jsonrpc_request *request,
 		return;
 	}
 
-	subsystem = spdk_subsystem_find(&g_subsystems, req.name);
+	subsystem = spdk_subsystem_find(req.name);
 	if (!subsystem) {
 		spdk_jsonrpc_send_error_response_fmt(request, SPDK_JSONRPC_ERROR_INVALID_PARAMS,
 						     "Subsystem '%s' not found", req.name);