diff --git a/app/nvmf_tgt/conf.c b/app/nvmf_tgt/conf.c
index 232f2673b..74ccbd24a 100644
--- a/app/nvmf_tgt/conf.c
+++ b/app/nvmf_tgt/conf.c
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ spdk_add_nvmf_discovery_subsystem(void)
 {
 	struct nvmf_tgt_subsystem *app_subsys;
 
-	app_subsys = nvmf_tgt_create_subsystem(0, SPDK_NVMF_DISCOVERY_NQN, SPDK_NVMF_SUBTYPE_DISCOVERY,
+	app_subsys = nvmf_tgt_create_subsystem(SPDK_NVMF_DISCOVERY_NQN, SPDK_NVMF_SUBTYPE_DISCOVERY,
 					       NVMF_SUBSYSTEM_MODE_DIRECT,
 					       rte_get_master_lcore());
 	if (app_subsys == NULL) {
@@ -471,7 +471,7 @@ spdk_nvmf_parse_subsystem(struct spdk_conf_section *sp)
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	app_subsys = nvmf_tgt_create_subsystem(sp->num, nqn, SPDK_NVMF_SUBTYPE_NVME, mode, lcore);
+	app_subsys = nvmf_tgt_create_subsystem(nqn, SPDK_NVMF_SUBTYPE_NVME, mode, lcore);
 	if (app_subsys == NULL) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("Subsystem createion failed\n");
 		return -1;
@@ -666,10 +666,9 @@ spdk_nvmf_parse_subsystem_for_rpc(const char *name,
 	enum spdk_nvmf_subsystem_mode mode;
 	int i;
 	uint64_t mask;
-	int num = 0;
 
 	if (name == NULL) {
-		SPDK_ERRLOG("No NQN specified for Subsystem %d\n", num);
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("No NQN specified for subsystem\n");
 		return -1;
 	}
 
@@ -683,21 +682,13 @@ spdk_nvmf_parse_subsystem_for_rpc(const char *name,
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	app_subsys = nvmf_tgt_subsystem_first();
-	while (app_subsys) {
-		if (num < app_subsys->subsystem->num) {
-			num = app_subsys->subsystem->num + 1;
-		}
-		app_subsys = nvmf_tgt_subsystem_next(app_subsys);
-	}
-
 	/* Determine which core to assign to the subsystem */
 	mask = spdk_app_get_core_mask();
 	lcore = spdk_nvmf_allocate_lcore(mask, lcore);
 
 	/* Determine the mode the subsysem will operate in */
 	if (mode_str == NULL) {
-		SPDK_ERRLOG("No Mode specified for Subsystem %d\n", num);
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("No Mode specified for Subsystem %s\n", name);
 		return -1;
 	}
 
@@ -710,7 +701,7 @@ spdk_nvmf_parse_subsystem_for_rpc(const char *name,
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	app_subsys = nvmf_tgt_create_subsystem(num, name, SPDK_NVMF_SUBTYPE_NVME,
+	app_subsys = nvmf_tgt_create_subsystem(name, SPDK_NVMF_SUBTYPE_NVME,
 					       mode, lcore);
 	if (app_subsys == NULL) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("Subsystem creation failed\n");
@@ -740,12 +731,12 @@ spdk_nvmf_parse_subsystem_for_rpc(const char *name,
 		struct spdk_nvmf_probe_ctx ctx = { 0 };
 
 		if (bdf == NULL) {
-			SPDK_ERRLOG("Subsystem %d: missing NVMe directive\n", num);
+			SPDK_ERRLOG("Subsystem %s: missing NVMe directive\n", name);
 			return -1;
 		}
 
 		if (num_devs != 0) {
-			SPDK_ERRLOG("Subsystem %d: Namespaces not allowed for Direct mode\n", num);
+			SPDK_ERRLOG("Subsystem %s: Namespaces not allowed for Direct mode\n", name);
 			return -1;
 		}
 
@@ -775,7 +766,7 @@ spdk_nvmf_parse_subsystem_for_rpc(const char *name,
 		const char *namespace;
 
 		if (sn == NULL) {
-			SPDK_ERRLOG("Subsystem %d: missing serial number\n", num);
+			SPDK_ERRLOG("Subsystem %s: missing serial number\n", name);
 			return -1;
 		}
 		if (spdk_nvmf_validate_sn(sn) != 0) {
diff --git a/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_tgt.c b/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_tgt.c
index 0df190787..5637743d2 100644
--- a/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_tgt.c
+++ b/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_tgt.c
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ nvmf_tgt_start_subsystem(struct nvmf_tgt_subsystem *app_subsys)
 }
 
 struct nvmf_tgt_subsystem *
-nvmf_tgt_create_subsystem(int num, const char *name, enum spdk_nvmf_subtype subtype,
+nvmf_tgt_create_subsystem(const char *name, enum spdk_nvmf_subtype subtype,
 			  enum spdk_nvmf_subsystem_mode mode, uint32_t lcore)
 {
 	struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *subsystem;
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ nvmf_tgt_create_subsystem(int num, const char *name, enum spdk_nvmf_subtype subt
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	subsystem = spdk_nvmf_create_subsystem(num, name, subtype, mode, app_subsys, connect_cb,
+	subsystem = spdk_nvmf_create_subsystem(name, subtype, mode, app_subsys, connect_cb,
 					       disconnect_cb);
 	if (subsystem == NULL) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("Subsystem creation failed\n");
diff --git a/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_tgt.h b/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_tgt.h
index 6738ff465..e60df7739 100644
--- a/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_tgt.h
+++ b/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_tgt.h
@@ -71,8 +71,7 @@ int spdk_nvmf_parse_conf(void);
 
 void nvmf_tgt_start_subsystem(struct nvmf_tgt_subsystem *subsystem);
 
-struct nvmf_tgt_subsystem *nvmf_tgt_create_subsystem(int num,
-		const char *name,
+struct nvmf_tgt_subsystem *nvmf_tgt_create_subsystem(const char *name,
 		enum spdk_nvmf_subtype subtype,
 		enum spdk_nvmf_subsystem_mode mode,
 		uint32_t lcore);
diff --git a/include/spdk/nvmf.h b/include/spdk/nvmf.h
index f7b725284..e08eb6c99 100644
--- a/include/spdk/nvmf.h
+++ b/include/spdk/nvmf.h
@@ -120,7 +120,6 @@ struct spdk_nvmf_ctrlr_ops {
  * access to all the NVMe device/namespaces maintained by the subsystem.
  */
 struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem {
-	uint16_t num;
 	uint32_t lcore;
 	char subnqn[SPDK_NVMF_NQN_MAX_LEN];
 	enum spdk_nvmf_subsystem_mode mode;
@@ -159,8 +158,7 @@ struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem {
 	TAILQ_ENTRY(spdk_nvmf_subsystem) entries;
 };
 
-struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *spdk_nvmf_create_subsystem(int num,
-		const char *name,
+struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *spdk_nvmf_create_subsystem(const char *name,
 		enum spdk_nvmf_subtype subtype,
 		enum spdk_nvmf_subsystem_mode mode,
 		void *cb_ctx,
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c b/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c
index 9a6d23f69..49e5c815f 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ spdk_nvmf_valid_nqn(const char *nqn)
 }
 
 struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *
-spdk_nvmf_create_subsystem(int num, const char *name,
+spdk_nvmf_create_subsystem(const char *name,
 			   enum spdk_nvmf_subtype subtype,
 			   enum spdk_nvmf_subsystem_mode mode,
 			   void *cb_ctx,
@@ -135,7 +135,6 @@ spdk_nvmf_create_subsystem(int num, const char *name,
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	subsystem->num = num;
 	subsystem->subtype = subtype;
 	subsystem->mode = mode;
 	subsystem->cb_ctx = cb_ctx;
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/virtual.c b/lib/nvmf/virtual.c
index 31ecc2320..6e87c2120 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/virtual.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/virtual.c
@@ -75,8 +75,8 @@ static void nvmf_virtual_set_dsm(struct spdk_nvmf_session *session)
 		}
 	}
 
-	SPDK_TRACELOG(SPDK_TRACE_NVMF, "All devices in Subsystem%d support unmap - enabling DSM\n",
-		      session->subsys->num);
+	SPDK_TRACELOG(SPDK_TRACE_NVMF, "All devices in Subsystem %s support unmap - enabling DSM\n",
+		      session->subsys->subnqn);
 	session->vcdata.oncs.dsm = 1;
 }
 
diff --git a/test/lib/nvmf/subsystem/subsystem_ut.c b/test/lib/nvmf/subsystem/subsystem_ut.c
index a103cee39..371829c13 100644
--- a/test/lib/nvmf/subsystem/subsystem_ut.c
+++ b/test/lib/nvmf/subsystem/subsystem_ut.c
@@ -90,10 +90,9 @@ nvmf_test_create_subsystem(void)
 	struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *subsystem;
 
 	strncpy(nqn, "nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:subsystem1", sizeof(nqn));
-	subsystem = spdk_nvmf_create_subsystem(1, nqn, SPDK_NVMF_SUBTYPE_NVME,
+	subsystem = spdk_nvmf_create_subsystem(nqn, SPDK_NVMF_SUBTYPE_NVME,
 					       NVMF_SUBSYSTEM_MODE_DIRECT, NULL, NULL, NULL);
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(subsystem != NULL);
-	CU_ASSERT_EQUAL(subsystem->num, 1);
 	CU_ASSERT_STRING_EQUAL(subsystem->subnqn, nqn);
 	spdk_nvmf_delete_subsystem(subsystem);
 
@@ -102,7 +101,7 @@ nvmf_test_create_subsystem(void)
 	memset(nqn + strlen(nqn), 'a', 222 - strlen(nqn));
 	nqn[222] = '\0';
 	CU_ASSERT(strlen(nqn) == 222);
-	subsystem = spdk_nvmf_create_subsystem(2, nqn, SPDK_NVMF_SUBTYPE_NVME,
+	subsystem = spdk_nvmf_create_subsystem(nqn, SPDK_NVMF_SUBTYPE_NVME,
 					       NVMF_SUBSYSTEM_MODE_DIRECT, NULL, NULL, NULL);
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(subsystem != NULL);
 	CU_ASSERT_STRING_EQUAL(subsystem->subnqn, nqn);
@@ -113,7 +112,7 @@ nvmf_test_create_subsystem(void)
 	memset(nqn + strlen(nqn), 'a', 223 - strlen(nqn));
 	nqn[223] = '\0';
 	CU_ASSERT(strlen(nqn) == 223);
-	subsystem = spdk_nvmf_create_subsystem(2, nqn, SPDK_NVMF_SUBTYPE_NVME,
+	subsystem = spdk_nvmf_create_subsystem(nqn, SPDK_NVMF_SUBTYPE_NVME,
 					       NVMF_SUBSYSTEM_MODE_DIRECT, NULL, NULL, NULL);
 	CU_ASSERT(subsystem == NULL);
 }