diff --git a/lib/scsi/lun.c b/lib/scsi/lun.c
index c7d3c8b22..c263aae8d 100644
--- a/lib/scsi/lun.c
+++ b/lib/scsi/lun.c
@@ -373,12 +373,8 @@ spdk_scsi_lun_delete(const char *lun_name)
 int spdk_scsi_lun_allocate_io_channel(struct spdk_scsi_lun *lun)
 {
 	if (lun->io_channel != NULL) {
-		if (pthread_self() == lun->thread_id) {
-			lun->ref++;
-			return 0;
-		}
-		SPDK_ERRLOG("io_channel already allocated for lun %s\n", lun->name);
-		return -1;
+		assert(spdk_io_channel_get_thread(lun->io_channel) == spdk_get_thread());
+		return 0;
 	}
 
 	lun->lcore = spdk_env_get_current_core();
@@ -387,19 +383,14 @@ int spdk_scsi_lun_allocate_io_channel(struct spdk_scsi_lun *lun)
 	if (lun->io_channel == NULL) {
 		return -1;
 	}
-	lun->thread_id = pthread_self();
-	lun->ref = 1;
 	return 0;
 }
 
 void spdk_scsi_lun_free_io_channel(struct spdk_scsi_lun *lun)
 {
 	if (lun->io_channel != NULL) {
-		lun->ref--;
-		if (lun->ref == 0) {
-			spdk_put_io_channel(lun->io_channel);
-			lun->io_channel = NULL;
-		}
+		spdk_put_io_channel(lun->io_channel);
+		lun->io_channel = NULL;
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/scsi/scsi_internal.h b/lib/scsi/scsi_internal.h
index 2da98dac3..49bd1af4a 100644
--- a/lib/scsi/scsi_internal.h
+++ b/lib/scsi/scsi_internal.h
@@ -87,14 +87,6 @@ struct spdk_scsi_lun {
 	/** I/O channel for the bdev associated with this LUN. */
 	struct spdk_io_channel *io_channel;
 
-	/** Thread ID for the thread that allocated the I/O channel for this
-	 *   LUN.  All I/O to this LUN must be performed from this thread.
-	 */
-	pthread_t thread_id;
-
-	/**  The reference number for this LUN, thus we can correctly free the io_channel */
-	uint32_t ref;
-
 	/** Name for this LUN. */
 	char name[SPDK_SCSI_LUN_MAX_NAME_LENGTH];
 
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/scsi/lun.c/lun_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/scsi/lun.c/lun_ut.c
index 653f62459..bd6ccb45d 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/scsi/lun.c/lun_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/scsi/lun.c/lun_ut.c
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@
 #include "lun.c"
 #include "lun_db.c"
 
+#include "spdk_internal/mock.h"
+
 /* Unit test bdev mockup */
 struct spdk_bdev {
 	int x;
@@ -194,6 +196,9 @@ spdk_put_io_channel(struct spdk_io_channel *ch)
 {
 }
 
+DEFINE_STUB(spdk_io_channel_get_thread, struct spdk_thread *, (struct spdk_io_channel *ch), NULL)
+DEFINE_STUB(spdk_get_thread, struct spdk_thread *, (void), NULL)
+
 static _spdk_scsi_lun *
 lun_construct(void)
 {