diff --git a/include/spdk/bdev.h b/include/spdk/bdev.h
index 4d34cbaf7..4c23d87db 100644
--- a/include/spdk/bdev.h
+++ b/include/spdk/bdev.h
@@ -881,14 +881,13 @@ int spdk_bdev_nvme_io_passthru_md(struct spdk_bdev_desc *bdev_desc,
 				  spdk_bdev_io_completion_cb cb, void *cb_arg);
 
 /**
- * Free an I/O request. This should be called after the callback for the I/O has
- * been called and notifies the bdev layer that memory may now be released.
+ * Free an I/O request. This should only be called after the completion callback
+ * for the I/O has been called and notifies the bdev layer that memory may now
+ * be released.
  *
  * \param bdev_io I/O request.
- *
- * \return -1 on failure, 0 on success.
  */
-int spdk_bdev_free_io(struct spdk_bdev_io *bdev_io);
+void spdk_bdev_free_io(struct spdk_bdev_io *bdev_io);
 
 /**
  * Return I/O statistics for this channel.
diff --git a/lib/bdev/bdev.c b/lib/bdev/bdev.c
index 324ea640c..f009c2151 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/bdev.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/bdev.c
@@ -935,11 +935,14 @@ spdk_bdev_get_io(struct spdk_bdev_channel *channel)
 	return bdev_io;
 }
 
-static void
-spdk_bdev_put_io(struct spdk_bdev_io *bdev_io)
+void
+spdk_bdev_free_io(struct spdk_bdev_io *bdev_io)
 {
 	struct spdk_bdev_mgmt_channel *ch = bdev_io->ch->shared_resource->mgmt_ch;
 
+	assert(bdev_io != NULL);
+	assert(bdev_io->status != SPDK_BDEV_IO_STATUS_PENDING);
+
 	if (bdev_io->buf != NULL) {
 		spdk_bdev_io_put_buf(bdev_io);
 	}
@@ -2277,25 +2280,6 @@ spdk_bdev_nvme_io_passthru_md(struct spdk_bdev_desc *desc, struct spdk_io_channe
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int
-spdk_bdev_free_io(struct spdk_bdev_io *bdev_io)
-{
-	if (!bdev_io) {
-		SPDK_ERRLOG("bdev_io is NULL\n");
-		return -1;
-	}
-
-	if (bdev_io->status == SPDK_BDEV_IO_STATUS_PENDING) {
-		SPDK_ERRLOG("bdev_io is in pending state\n");
-		assert(false);
-		return -1;
-	}
-
-	spdk_bdev_put_io(bdev_io);
-
-	return 0;
-}
-
 static void
 _spdk_bdev_ch_retry_io(struct spdk_bdev_channel *bdev_ch)
 {
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/ctrlr_bdev.c/ctrlr_bdev_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/ctrlr_bdev.c/ctrlr_bdev_ut.c
index 51740fd4e..342187ad9 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/ctrlr_bdev.c/ctrlr_bdev_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/ctrlr_bdev.c/ctrlr_bdev_ut.c
@@ -164,9 +164,8 @@ spdk_bdev_nvme_io_passthru(struct spdk_bdev_desc *desc,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int spdk_bdev_free_io(struct spdk_bdev_io *bdev_io)
+void spdk_bdev_free_io(struct spdk_bdev_io *bdev_io)
 {
-	return -1;
 }
 
 const char *spdk_nvmf_subsystem_get_nqn(struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *subsystem)
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/scsi/lun.c/lun_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/scsi/lun.c/lun_ut.c
index 3e2cd0168..2b439e621 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/scsi/lun.c/lun_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/scsi/lun.c/lun_ut.c
@@ -123,11 +123,10 @@ spdk_dma_free(void *buf)
 	free(buf);
 }
 
-int
+void
 spdk_bdev_free_io(struct spdk_bdev_io *bdev_io)
 {
 	CU_ASSERT(0);
-	return -1;
 }
 
 int
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/scsi/scsi_bdev.c/scsi_bdev_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/scsi/scsi_bdev.c/scsi_bdev_ut.c
index edcfb1765..8a038f837 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/scsi/scsi_bdev.c/scsi_bdev_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/scsi/scsi_bdev.c/scsi_bdev_ut.c
@@ -79,11 +79,10 @@ spdk_bdev_io_type_supported(struct spdk_bdev *bdev, enum spdk_bdev_io_type io_ty
 	return false;
 }
 
-int
+void
 spdk_bdev_free_io(struct spdk_bdev_io *bdev_io)
 {
 	CU_ASSERT(0);
-	return -1;
 }
 
 const char *
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/vhost/vhost_blk.c/vhost_blk_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/vhost/vhost_blk.c/vhost_blk_ut.c
index 7bcdaf08b..483bb02da 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/vhost/vhost_blk.c/vhost_blk_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/vhost/vhost_blk.c/vhost_blk_ut.c
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
 #include "spdk/bdev_module.h"
 #include "spdk/env.h"
 
-DEFINE_STUB(spdk_bdev_free_io, int, (struct spdk_bdev_io *bdev_io), 0);
+DEFINE_STUB_V(spdk_bdev_free_io, (struct spdk_bdev_io *bdev_io));
 DEFINE_STUB(spdk_bdev_readv, int, (struct spdk_bdev_desc *desc, struct spdk_io_channel *ch,
 				   struct iovec *iov, int iovcnt, uint64_t offset, uint64_t nbytes, spdk_bdev_io_completion_cb cb,
 				   void *cb_arg), 0);
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/vhost/vhost_nvme.c/vhost_nvme_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/vhost/vhost_nvme.c/vhost_nvme_ut.c
index 7e1cf551f..4cee930c0 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/vhost/vhost_nvme.c/vhost_nvme_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/vhost/vhost_nvme.c/vhost_nvme_ut.c
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@
 #include "spdk/env.h"
 
 
-DEFINE_STUB(spdk_bdev_free_io, int, (struct spdk_bdev_io *bdev_io), 0);
+DEFINE_STUB_V(spdk_bdev_free_io, (struct spdk_bdev_io *bdev_io));
 DEFINE_STUB(spdk_bdev_readv, int, (struct spdk_bdev_desc *desc, struct spdk_io_channel *ch,
 				   struct iovec *iov, int iovcnt, uint64_t offset, uint64_t nbytes, spdk_bdev_io_completion_cb cb,
 				   void *cb_arg), 0);