diff --git a/lib/vhost/vhost.c b/lib/vhost/vhost.c
index c1f926b34..26c925f92 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/vhost.c
+++ b/lib/vhost/vhost.c
@@ -561,8 +561,14 @@ spdk_vhost_event_async_fn(void *arg1, void *arg2)
 {
 	struct spdk_vhost_dev_event_ctx *ctx = arg1;
 	struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev;
+	struct spdk_event *ev;
+
+	if (pthread_mutex_trylock(&g_spdk_vhost_mutex) != 0) {
+		ev = spdk_event_allocate(spdk_env_get_current_core(), spdk_vhost_event_async_fn, arg1, arg2);
+		spdk_event_call(ev);
+		return;
+	}
 
-	pthread_mutex_lock(&g_spdk_vhost_mutex);
 	vdev = spdk_vhost_dev_find(ctx->ctrlr_name);
 	if (vdev != ctx->vdev) {
 		/* vdev has been changed after enqueuing this event */
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/vhost/vhost.c/vhost_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/vhost/vhost.c/vhost_ut.c
index f7d212eeb..b7162f43a 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/vhost/vhost.c/vhost_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/vhost/vhost.c/vhost_ut.c
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ DEFINE_STUB(spdk_vhost_scsi_controller_construct, int, (void), 0);
 DEFINE_STUB(spdk_vhost_blk_controller_construct, int, (void), 0);
 DEFINE_STUB(rte_vhost_set_vhost_vring_last_idx, int,
 	    (int vid, uint16_t vring_idx, uint16_t last_avail_idx, uint16_t last_used_idx), 0);
+DEFINE_STUB(spdk_env_get_current_core, uint32_t, (void), 0);
 
 static int
 test_setup(void)