diff --git a/lib/util/io_channel.c b/lib/util/io_channel.c
index 1e14b8869..b91549451 100644
--- a/lib/util/io_channel.c
+++ b/lib/util/io_channel.c
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ struct io_device {
 	spdk_io_channel_destroy_cb destroy_cb;
 	spdk_io_device_unregister_cb unregister_cb;
 	uint32_t		ctx_size;
+	uint32_t		for_each_count;
 	TAILQ_ENTRY(io_device)	tailq;
 
 	bool			unregistered;
@@ -218,6 +219,7 @@ spdk_io_device_register(void *io_device, spdk_io_channel_create_cb create_cb,
 	dev->destroy_cb = destroy_cb;
 	dev->unregister_cb = NULL;
 	dev->ctx_size = ctx_size;
+	dev->for_each_count = 0;
 	dev->unregistered = false;
 
 	pthread_mutex_lock(&g_devlist_mutex);
@@ -276,6 +278,12 @@ spdk_io_device_unregister(void *io_device, spdk_io_device_unregister_cb unregist
 		return;
 	}
 
+	if (dev->for_each_count > 0) {
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("io_device %p has %u for_each calls outstanding\n", io_device, dev->for_each_count);
+		pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_devlist_mutex);
+		return;
+	}
+
 	dev->unregister_cb = unregister_cb;
 	dev->unregistered = true;
 	TAILQ_REMOVE(&g_io_devices, dev, tailq);
@@ -400,6 +408,7 @@ spdk_io_channel_get_thread(struct spdk_io_channel *ch)
 
 struct call_channel {
 	void *io_device;
+	struct io_device *dev;
 	spdk_channel_msg fn;
 	void *ctx;
 
@@ -459,6 +468,7 @@ _call_channel(void *ctx)
 		thread = TAILQ_NEXT(thread, tailq);
 	}
 
+	ch_ctx->dev->for_each_count--;
 	pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_devlist_mutex);
 
 	spdk_thread_send_msg(ch_ctx->orig_thread, _call_completion, ch_ctx);
@@ -489,6 +499,8 @@ spdk_for_each_channel(void *io_device, spdk_channel_msg fn, void *ctx,
 	TAILQ_FOREACH(thread, &g_threads, tailq) {
 		TAILQ_FOREACH(ch, &thread->io_channels, tailq) {
 			if (ch->dev->io_device == io_device) {
+				ch->dev->for_each_count++;
+				ch_ctx->dev = ch->dev;
 				ch_ctx->cur_thread = thread;
 				pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_devlist_mutex);
 				spdk_thread_send_msg(thread, _call_channel, ch_ctx);
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/util/io_channel.c/io_channel_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/util/io_channel.c/io_channel_ut.c
index 5afd0b12a..efccf0e42 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/util/io_channel.c/io_channel_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/util/io_channel.c/io_channel_ut.c
@@ -170,6 +170,78 @@ for_each_channel_remove(void)
 	free_threads();
 }
 
+struct unreg_ctx {
+	bool	ch_done;
+	bool	foreach_done;
+};
+
+static void
+unreg_ch_done(void *io_device, struct spdk_io_channel *_ch, void *_ctx)
+{
+	struct unreg_ctx *ctx = _ctx;
+
+	ctx->ch_done = true;
+}
+
+static void
+unreg_foreach_done(void *io_device, void *_ctx)
+{
+	struct unreg_ctx *ctx = _ctx;
+
+	ctx->foreach_done = true;
+}
+
+static void
+for_each_channel_unreg(void)
+{
+	struct spdk_io_channel *ch0;
+	struct io_device *dev;
+	struct unreg_ctx ctx = {};
+	int io_target;
+
+	allocate_threads(1);
+	CU_ASSERT(TAILQ_EMPTY(&g_io_devices));
+	spdk_io_device_register(&io_target, channel_create, channel_destroy, sizeof(int));
+	CU_ASSERT(!TAILQ_EMPTY(&g_io_devices));
+	dev = TAILQ_FIRST(&g_io_devices);
+	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(dev != NULL);
+	CU_ASSERT(TAILQ_NEXT(dev, tailq) == NULL);
+	set_thread(0);
+	ch0 = spdk_get_io_channel(&io_target);
+	spdk_for_each_channel(&io_target, unreg_ch_done, &ctx, unreg_foreach_done);
+
+	spdk_io_device_unregister(&io_target, NULL);
+	/*
+	 * There is an outstanding foreach call on the io_device, so the unregister should not
+	 *  have removed the device.
+	 */
+	CU_ASSERT(dev == TAILQ_FIRST(&g_io_devices));
+	spdk_io_device_register(&io_target, channel_create, channel_destroy, sizeof(int));
+	/*
+	 * There is already a device registered at &io_target, so a new io_device should not
+	 *  have been added to g_io_devices.
+	 */
+	CU_ASSERT(dev == TAILQ_FIRST(&g_io_devices));
+	CU_ASSERT(TAILQ_NEXT(dev, tailq) == NULL);
+
+	poll_thread(0);
+	CU_ASSERT(ctx.ch_done == true);
+	CU_ASSERT(ctx.foreach_done == true);
+	/*
+	 * There are no more foreach operations outstanding, so we can unregister the device,
+	 *  even though a channel still exists for the device.
+	 */
+	spdk_io_device_unregister(&io_target, NULL);
+	CU_ASSERT(TAILQ_EMPTY(&g_io_devices));
+
+	set_thread(0);
+	spdk_put_io_channel(ch0);
+
+	poll_threads();
+
+	free_threads();
+}
+
 static void
 thread_name(void)
 {
@@ -318,6 +390,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		CU_add_test(suite, "thread_alloc", thread_alloc) == NULL ||
 		CU_add_test(suite, "thread_send_msg", thread_send_msg) == NULL ||
 		CU_add_test(suite, "for_each_channel_remove", for_each_channel_remove) == NULL ||
+		CU_add_test(suite, "for_each_channel_unreg", for_each_channel_unreg) == NULL ||
 		CU_add_test(suite, "thread_name", thread_name) == NULL ||
 		CU_add_test(suite, "channel", channel) == NULL
 	) {