msg->payload.u64 = features;
        msg->size = sizeof(msg->payload.u64);
+       msg->fd_num = 0;
 
        return VH_RESULT_REPLY;
 }
 
        msg->payload.u64 = (uint64_t)queue_num;
        msg->size = sizeof(msg->payload.u64);
+       msg->fd_num = 0;
 
        return VH_RESULT_REPLY;
 }
        vq->batch_copy_elems = NULL;
 
        msg->size = sizeof(msg->payload.state);
+       msg->fd_num = 0;
 
        return VH_RESULT_REPLY;
 }
 
        msg->payload.u64 = protocol_features;
        msg->size = sizeof(msg->payload.u64);
+       msg->fd_num = 0;
 
        return VH_RESULT_REPLY;
 }
         * any payload in the reply.
         */
        msg->size = 0;
+       msg->fd_num = 0;
 
        return VH_RESULT_REPLY;
 }
 }
 
 static int
-send_vhost_message(int sockfd, struct VhostUserMsg *msg, int *fds, int fd_num)
+send_vhost_message(int sockfd, struct VhostUserMsg *msg)
 {
        if (!msg)
                return 0;
 
        return send_fd_message(sockfd, (char *)msg,
-               VHOST_USER_HDR_SIZE + msg->size, fds, fd_num);
+               VHOST_USER_HDR_SIZE + msg->size, msg->fds, msg->fd_num);
 }
 
 static int
        msg->flags |= VHOST_USER_VERSION;
        msg->flags |= VHOST_USER_REPLY_MASK;
 
-       return send_vhost_message(sockfd, msg, NULL, 0);
+       return send_vhost_message(sockfd, msg);
 }
 
 static int
-send_vhost_slave_message(struct virtio_net *dev, struct VhostUserMsg *msg,
-                        int *fds, int fd_num)
+send_vhost_slave_message(struct virtio_net *dev, struct VhostUserMsg *msg)
 {
        int ret;
 
        if (msg->flags & VHOST_USER_NEED_REPLY)
                rte_spinlock_lock(&dev->slave_req_lock);
 
-       ret = send_vhost_message(dev->slave_req_fd, msg, fds, fd_num);
+       ret = send_vhost_message(dev->slave_req_fd, msg);
        if (ret < 0 && (msg->flags & VHOST_USER_NEED_REPLY))
                rte_spinlock_unlock(&dev->slave_req_lock);
 
        if (msg.flags & VHOST_USER_NEED_REPLY) {
                msg.payload.u64 = ret == VH_RESULT_ERR;
                msg.size = sizeof(msg.payload.u64);
+               msg.fd_num = 0;
                send_vhost_reply(fd, &msg);
        } else if (ret == VH_RESULT_ERR) {
                RTE_LOG(ERR, VHOST_CONFIG,
                },
        };
 
-       ret = send_vhost_message(dev->slave_req_fd, &msg, NULL, 0);
+       ret = send_vhost_message(dev->slave_req_fd, &msg);
        if (ret < 0) {
                RTE_LOG(ERR, VHOST_CONFIG,
                                "Failed to send IOTLB miss message (%d)\n",
                                                    uint64_t offset,
                                                    uint64_t size)
 {
-       int *fdp = NULL;
-       size_t fd_num = 0;
        int ret;
        struct VhostUserMsg msg = {
                .request.slave = VHOST_USER_SLAVE_VRING_HOST_NOTIFIER_MSG,
        if (fd < 0)
                msg.payload.area.u64 |= VHOST_USER_VRING_NOFD_MASK;
        else {
-               fdp = &fd;
-               fd_num = 1;
+               msg.fds[0] = fd;
+               msg.fd_num = 1;
        }
 
-       ret = send_vhost_slave_message(dev, &msg, fdp, fd_num);
+       ret = send_vhost_slave_message(dev, &msg);
        if (ret < 0) {
                RTE_LOG(ERR, VHOST_CONFIG,
                        "Failed to set host notifier (%d)\n", ret);