diff --git a/include/spdk_internal/bdev.h b/include/spdk_internal/bdev.h
index c5c7cedfe..19eb63614 100644
--- a/include/spdk_internal/bdev.h
+++ b/include/spdk_internal/bdev.h
@@ -119,6 +119,12 @@ struct spdk_bdev_module_if {
 	 */
 	void (*examine)(struct spdk_bdev *bdev);
 
+	/**
+	 * Count of bdev examinations in progress.  Used by generic bdev layer and must
+	 * not be modified by bdev modules.
+	 */
+	uint32_t examine_in_progress;
+
 	TAILQ_ENTRY(spdk_bdev_module_if) tailq;
 };
 
@@ -377,6 +383,8 @@ void spdk_vbdev_register(struct spdk_bdev *vbdev, struct spdk_bdev **base_bdevs,
 			 int base_bdev_count);
 void spdk_vbdev_unregister(struct spdk_bdev *vbdev);
 
+void spdk_vbdev_module_examine_done(struct spdk_bdev_module_if *module);
+
 void spdk_bdev_poller_start(struct spdk_bdev_poller **ppoller,
 			    spdk_bdev_poller_fn fn,
 			    void *arg,
diff --git a/lib/bdev/bdev.c b/lib/bdev/bdev.c
index d3e41a619..317c80d8b 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/bdev.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/bdev.c
@@ -74,7 +74,6 @@ struct spdk_bdev_mgr {
 #ifdef SPDK_CONFIG_VTUNE
 	__itt_domain	*domain;
 #endif
-
 };
 
 static struct spdk_bdev_mgr g_bdev_mgr = {
@@ -1384,9 +1383,8 @@ _spdk_bdev_register(struct spdk_bdev *bdev)
 	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&g_bdev_mgr.bdevs, bdev, link);
 
 	TAILQ_FOREACH(vbdev_module, &g_bdev_mgr.vbdev_modules, tailq) {
-		if (vbdev_module->examine) {
-			vbdev_module->examine(bdev);
-		}
+		vbdev_module->examine_in_progress++;
+		vbdev_module->examine(bdev);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -1459,6 +1457,13 @@ spdk_vbdev_unregister(struct spdk_bdev *vbdev)
 	spdk_bdev_unregister(vbdev);
 }
 
+void
+spdk_vbdev_module_examine_done(struct spdk_bdev_module_if *module)
+{
+	assert(module->examine_in_progress > 0);
+	module->examine_in_progress--;
+}
+
 static bool
 __is_bdev_opened_for_write(struct spdk_bdev *bdev)
 {
@@ -1595,5 +1600,6 @@ spdk_bdev_module_list_add(struct spdk_bdev_module_if *bdev_module)
 void
 spdk_vbdev_module_list_add(struct spdk_bdev_module_if *vbdev_module)
 {
+	assert(vbdev_module->examine != NULL);
 	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&g_bdev_mgr.vbdev_modules, vbdev_module, tailq);
 }
diff --git a/lib/bdev/error/vbdev_error.c b/lib/bdev/error/vbdev_error.c
index 91a82b066..7ca12947d 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/error/vbdev_error.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/error/vbdev_error.c
@@ -333,4 +333,11 @@ vbdev_error_fini(void)
 	}
 }
 
-SPDK_VBDEV_MODULE_REGISTER(error, vbdev_error_init, vbdev_error_fini, NULL, NULL, NULL)
+static void
+vbdev_error_examine(struct spdk_bdev *bdev)
+{
+	spdk_vbdev_module_examine_done(SPDK_GET_BDEV_MODULE(error));
+}
+
+SPDK_VBDEV_MODULE_REGISTER(error, vbdev_error_init, vbdev_error_fini, NULL, NULL,
+			   vbdev_error_examine)
diff --git a/lib/bdev/gpt/vbdev_gpt.c b/lib/bdev/gpt/vbdev_gpt.c
index 27470499b..ddc44efb9 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/gpt/vbdev_gpt.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/gpt/vbdev_gpt.c
@@ -522,6 +522,13 @@ vbdev_gpt_fini(void)
 static void
 vbdev_gpt_examine(struct spdk_bdev *bdev)
 {
+	/*
+	 * TODO: this will get fixed in a later patch which refactors
+	 * the GPT init/register code.  For now, nothing is operating
+	 * on the examination counts so just immediately indicate
+	 * that the examination is done.
+	 */
+	spdk_vbdev_module_examine_done(SPDK_GET_BDEV_MODULE(gpt));
 	if (g_gpt_disabled) {
 		return;
 	}
diff --git a/lib/bdev/split/vbdev_split.c b/lib/bdev/split/vbdev_split.c
index b2e927c5a..07024d841 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/split/vbdev_split.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/split/vbdev_split.c
@@ -425,6 +425,12 @@ vbdev_split_get_ctx_size(void)
 	return sizeof(struct spdk_io_channel *);
 }
 
+static void
+vbdev_split_examine(struct spdk_bdev *bdev)
+{
+	spdk_vbdev_module_examine_done(SPDK_GET_BDEV_MODULE(split));
+}
+
 SPDK_VBDEV_MODULE_REGISTER(split, vbdev_split_init, vbdev_split_fini, NULL,
-			   vbdev_split_get_ctx_size, NULL)
+			   vbdev_split_get_ctx_size, vbdev_split_examine)
 SPDK_LOG_REGISTER_TRACE_FLAG("vbdev_split", SPDK_TRACE_VBDEV_SPLIT)
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/bdev/bdev.c/bdev_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/bdev/bdev.c/bdev_ut.c
index 9b1bc5b40..adf1c7420 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/bdev/bdev.c/bdev_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/bdev/bdev.c/bdev_ut.c
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@
 #include "lib/test_env.c"
 #include "bdev.c"
 
+SPDK_DECLARE_BDEV_MODULE(vbdev_ut);
+
 void *
 spdk_io_channel_get_ctx(struct spdk_io_channel *ch)
 {
@@ -109,8 +111,14 @@ static struct spdk_bdev_fn_table fn_table = {
 	.destruct = stub_destruct,
 };
 
+static void
+vbdev_ut_examine(struct spdk_bdev *bdev)
+{
+	spdk_vbdev_module_examine_done(SPDK_GET_BDEV_MODULE(vbdev_ut));
+}
+
 SPDK_BDEV_MODULE_REGISTER(bdev_ut, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL)
-SPDK_VBDEV_MODULE_REGISTER(vbdev_ut, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL)
+SPDK_VBDEV_MODULE_REGISTER(vbdev_ut, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, vbdev_ut_examine)
 
 static struct spdk_bdev *
 allocate_bdev(char *name)