diff --git a/lib/event/app.c b/lib/event/app.c
index 6ab5f15ef..a9793307a 100644
--- a/lib/event/app.c
+++ b/lib/event/app.c
@@ -364,6 +364,12 @@ spdk_app_start_rpc(void *arg1, void *arg2)
 	}
 }
 
+static void
+_spdk_app_start_rpc(void *arg1)
+{
+	spdk_app_start_rpc(arg1, NULL);
+}
+
 static struct spdk_conf *
 spdk_app_setup_conf(const char *config_file)
 {
@@ -562,13 +568,13 @@ bootstrap_fn(void *arg1, void *arg2)
 {
 	struct spdk_event *rpc_start_event;
 
-	rpc_start_event = spdk_event_allocate(g_init_lcore, spdk_app_start_rpc,
-					      NULL, NULL);
-
 	if (g_spdk_app.json_config_file) {
 		g_delay_subsystem_init = false;
-		spdk_app_json_config_load(g_spdk_app.json_config_file, g_spdk_app.rpc_addr, rpc_start_event);
+		spdk_app_json_config_load(g_spdk_app.json_config_file, g_spdk_app.rpc_addr, _spdk_app_start_rpc,
+					  NULL);
 	} else {
+		rpc_start_event = spdk_event_allocate(g_init_lcore, spdk_app_start_rpc, NULL, NULL);
+
 		if (!g_delay_subsystem_init) {
 			spdk_subsystem_init(rpc_start_event);
 		} else {
diff --git a/lib/event/json_config.c b/lib/event/json_config.c
index b56ce9baa..d0cf4d7e6 100644
--- a/lib/event/json_config.c
+++ b/lib/event/json_config.c
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@
 
 #include "spdk/util.h"
 #include "spdk/log.h"
-#include "spdk/event.h"
 #include "spdk/env.h"
 #include "spdk/thread.h"
 #include "spdk/jsonrpc.h"
@@ -88,7 +87,8 @@ typedef void (*client_resp_handler)(struct load_json_config_ctx *,
 struct load_json_config_ctx {
 	/* Thread used during configuration. */
 	struct spdk_thread *thread;
-	struct spdk_event *done_event;
+	spdk_msg_fn cb_fn;
+	void *cb_arg;
 
 	/* Current subsystem */
 	struct spdk_json_val *subsystems; /* "subsystems" array */
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ spdk_app_json_config_load_done(struct load_json_config_ctx *ctx, int rc)
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("Config load failed. Stopping SPDK application.\n");
 		spdk_app_stop(rc);
 	} else {
-		spdk_event_call(ctx->done_event);
+		ctx->cb_fn(ctx->cb_arg);
 	}
 
 	SPDK_DEBUG_APP_CFG("Config load finished\n");
@@ -426,7 +426,7 @@ static struct spdk_json_object_decoder subsystem_decoders[] = {
  *
  * In second iteration "subsystems" array is walked through again, this time only
  * RUNTIME RPC methods are used. When ctx->subsystems_it became NULL second time it
- * indicate that there is no more subsystems to load. The done_event is called to finish
+ * indicate that there is no more subsystems to load. The cb_fn is called to finish
  * configuration.
  */
 static void
@@ -563,18 +563,19 @@ err:
 
 void
 spdk_app_json_config_load(const char *json_config_file, const char *rpc_addr,
-			  struct spdk_event *done_event)
+			  spdk_msg_fn cb_fn, void *cb_arg)
 {
 	struct load_json_config_ctx *ctx = calloc(1, sizeof(*ctx));
 	int rc;
 
-	assert(done_event);
+	assert(cb_fn);
 	if (!ctx) {
 		spdk_app_stop(-ENOMEM);
 		return;
 	}
 
-	ctx->done_event = done_event;
+	ctx->cb_fn = cb_fn;
+	ctx->cb_arg = cb_arg;
 	ctx->thread = spdk_get_thread();
 
 	rc = spdk_app_json_config_read(json_config_file, ctx);
diff --git a/lib/event/json_config.h b/lib/event/json_config.h
index f25c6a268..5a620d028 100644
--- a/lib/event/json_config.h
+++ b/lib/event/json_config.h
@@ -34,9 +34,9 @@
 #ifndef SPDK_JSON_CONFIG_H
 #define SPDK_JSON_CONFIG_H
 
-#include "spdk/event.h"
+#include "spdk/thread.h"
 
 void spdk_app_json_config_load(const char *json_config_file, const char *rpc_addr,
-			       struct spdk_event *done_event);
+			       spdk_msg_fn cb_fn, void *cb_arg);
 
 #endif /* SPDK_JSON_CONFIG_H */
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/event/app.c/app_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/event/app.c/app_ut.c
index 3b84068f3..f712ae17a 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/event/app.c/app_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/event/app.c/app_ut.c
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ DEFINE_STUB_V(spdk_rpc_register_method, (const char *method, spdk_rpc_method_han
 DEFINE_STUB_V(spdk_rpc_set_state, (uint32_t state));
 DEFINE_STUB(spdk_rpc_get_state, uint32_t, (void), SPDK_RPC_RUNTIME);
 DEFINE_STUB_V(spdk_app_json_config_load, (const char *json_config_file, const char *rpc_addr,
-		struct spdk_event *done_event));
+		spdk_msg_fn cb_fn, void *cb_arg));
 
 static void
 unittest_usage(void)