diff --git a/include/spdk/conf.h b/include/spdk/conf.h
index efbea13a2..e79e831e3 100644
--- a/include/spdk/conf.h
+++ b/include/spdk/conf.h
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ char *spdk_conf_section_get_nmval(struct spdk_conf_section *sp, const char *key,
 char *spdk_conf_section_get_nval(struct spdk_conf_section *sp, const char *key, int idx);
 char *spdk_conf_section_get_val(struct spdk_conf_section *sp, const char *key);
 int spdk_conf_section_get_intval(struct spdk_conf_section *sp, const char *key);
+bool spdk_conf_section_get_boolval(struct spdk_conf_section *sp, const char *key, bool default_val);
 
 void spdk_conf_set_as_default(struct spdk_conf *cp);
 
diff --git a/lib/bdev/nvme/blockdev_nvme.c b/lib/bdev/nvme/blockdev_nvme.c
index f8b55bbd4..35b565327 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/nvme/blockdev_nvme.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/nvme/blockdev_nvme.c
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ struct nvme_probe_ctx {
 };
 
 static int g_hot_insert_nvme_controller_index = 0;
-static int g_reset_controller_on_timeout = 0;
+static bool g_reset_controller_on_timeout = false;
 static int g_timeout = 0;
 static int g_nvme_adminq_poll_timeout_us = 0;
 static int g_nvme_hotplug_poll_timeout_us = 0;
@@ -768,12 +768,8 @@ bdev_nvme_library_init(void)
 		probe_ctx.count++;
 	}
 
-	val = spdk_conf_section_get_val(sp, "ResetControllerOnTimeout");
-	if (val != NULL) {
-		if (!strcmp(val, "Yes")) {
-			g_reset_controller_on_timeout = 1;
-		}
-	}
+	g_reset_controller_on_timeout =
+		spdk_conf_section_get_boolval(sp, "ResetControllerOnTimeout", false);
 
 	if ((g_timeout = spdk_conf_section_get_intval(sp, "NvmeTimeoutValue")) < 0) {
 		g_timeout = 0;
diff --git a/lib/conf/conf.c b/lib/conf/conf.c
index 8cbeeddca..63719eac5 100644
--- a/lib/conf/conf.c
+++ b/lib/conf/conf.c
@@ -427,6 +427,27 @@ spdk_conf_section_get_intval(struct spdk_conf_section *sp, const char *key)
 	return value;
 }
 
+bool
+spdk_conf_section_get_boolval(struct spdk_conf_section *sp, const char *key, bool default_val)
+{
+	const char *v;
+
+	v = spdk_conf_section_get_nval(sp, key, 0);
+	if (v == NULL) {
+		return default_val;
+	}
+
+	if (!strcasecmp(v, "Yes") || !strcasecmp(v, "Y") || !strcasecmp(v, "True")) {
+		return true;
+	}
+
+	if (!strcasecmp(v, "No") || !strcasecmp(v, "N") || !strcasecmp(v, "False")) {
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	return default_val;
+}
+
 static int
 parse_line(struct spdk_conf *cp, char *lp)
 {
diff --git a/lib/copy/ioat/copy_engine_ioat.c b/lib/copy/ioat/copy_engine_ioat.c
index f3563b812..1227c7c60 100644
--- a/lib/copy/ioat/copy_engine_ioat.c
+++ b/lib/copy/ioat/copy_engine_ioat.c
@@ -277,18 +277,16 @@ static int
 copy_engine_ioat_init(void)
 {
 	struct spdk_conf_section *sp = spdk_conf_find_section(NULL, "Ioat");
-	const char *val, *pci_bdf;
+	const char *pci_bdf;
 	int i;
 	struct ioat_probe_ctx probe_ctx = {};
 
 	if (sp != NULL) {
-		val = spdk_conf_section_get_val(sp, "Disable");
-		if (val != NULL) {
+		if (spdk_conf_section_get_boolval(sp, "Disable", false)) {
 			/* Disable Ioat */
-			if (!strcmp(val, "Yes")) {
-				return 0;
-			}
+			return 0;
 		}
+
 		/*Init the whitelist*/
 		for (i = 0; i < IOAT_MAX_CHANNELS; i++) {
 			pci_bdf = spdk_conf_section_get_nmval(sp, "Whitelist", i, 0);
diff --git a/lib/rpc/rpc.c b/lib/rpc/rpc.c
index 5604f795f..684abb796 100644
--- a/lib/rpc/rpc.c
+++ b/lib/rpc/rpc.c
@@ -83,23 +83,13 @@ static int
 enable_rpc(void)
 {
 	struct spdk_conf_section	*sp;
-	char				*val;
 
 	sp = spdk_conf_find_section(NULL, "Rpc");
 	if (sp == NULL) {
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	val = spdk_conf_section_get_val(sp, "Enable");
-	if (val == NULL) {
-		return 0;
-	}
-
-	if (!strcmp(val, "Yes")) {
-		return 1;
-	}
-
-	return 0;
+	return spdk_conf_section_get_boolval(sp, "Enable", false);
 }
 
 static const char *
diff --git a/lib/scsi/scsi.c b/lib/scsi/scsi.c
index 246c17e80..368be82a8 100644
--- a/lib/scsi/scsi.c
+++ b/lib/scsi/scsi.c
@@ -88,17 +88,7 @@ spdk_read_config_scsi_parameters(void)
 	g_spdk_scsi.scsi_params.unmap_granularity_alignment = (val == NULL) ?
 			DEFAULT_UNMAP_GRANULARITY_ALIGNMENT : strtoul(val, NULL, 10);
 
-	val = spdk_conf_section_get_val(sp, "Ugavalid");
-	if (val == NULL) {
-		g_spdk_scsi.scsi_params.ugavalid = DEFAULT_UGAVALID;
-	} else if (strcasecmp(val, "Yes") == 0) {
-		g_spdk_scsi.scsi_params.ugavalid = 1;
-	} else if (strcasecmp(val, "No") == 0) {
-		g_spdk_scsi.scsi_params.ugavalid = 0;
-	} else {
-		SPDK_ERRLOG("unknown value %s\n", val);
-		return -1;
-	}
+	g_spdk_scsi.scsi_params.ugavalid = spdk_conf_section_get_boolval(sp, "Ugavalid", DEFAULT_UGAVALID);
 
 	val = spdk_conf_section_get_val(sp, "MaxWriteSameLength");
 	g_spdk_scsi.scsi_params.max_write_same_length = (val == NULL) ?
diff --git a/test/lib/scsi/init/init_ut.c b/test/lib/scsi/init/init_ut.c
index 3acfed93d..8d8402d28 100644
--- a/test/lib/scsi/init/init_ut.c
+++ b/test/lib/scsi/init/init_ut.c
@@ -274,6 +274,7 @@ scsi_init_ugavalid_no(void)
 static void
 scsi_init_ugavalid_unknown_value_failure(void)
 {
+	struct spdk_scsi_parameters params;
 	int rc;
 	struct spdk_conf *config;
 
@@ -282,10 +283,13 @@ scsi_init_ugavalid_unknown_value_failure(void)
 	config = spdk_config_init_scsi_params("Ugavalid", "unknown value");
 	spdk_conf_set_as_default(config);
 	rc = spdk_scsi_subsystem_init();
+	CU_ASSERT_EQUAL(rc, 0);
 
-	/* returns -1 since scsi_params.ugavalid is set to
-	 * 'unknown value' */
-	CU_ASSERT_TRUE(rc < 0);
+	/* Assert the scsi_params.ugavalid == DEFAULT_UGAVALID and
+	 * assert the rest of the params are set to their default values */
+	set_default_scsi_params(&params);
+	params.ugavalid = DEFAULT_UGAVALID;
+	CU_ASSERT(memcmp(&g_spdk_scsi.scsi_params, &params, sizeof(params)) == 0);
 
 	spdk_conf_free(config);
 }