diff --git a/conanfile.py b/conanfile.py
index d6fd6f6f1..606d1a6ea 100644
--- a/conanfile.py
+++ b/conanfile.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
 class HomestoreConan(ConanFile):
     name = "homestore"
-    version = "6.5.16"
+    version = "6.5.17"
 
     homepage = "https://github.com/eBay/Homestore"
     description = "HomeStore Storage Engine"
diff --git a/src/include/homestore/blkdata_service.hpp b/src/include/homestore/blkdata_service.hpp
index b82ec886b..e0df5ef9b 100644
--- a/src/include/homestore/blkdata_service.hpp
+++ b/src/include/homestore/blkdata_service.hpp
@@ -65,9 +65,24 @@ class BlkDataService {
      * @param chunk_sel_type The type of chunk selector to use for the virtual device.
      * @param num_chunks The number of chunks to use for the virtual device.
      */
-    void create_vdev(uint64_t size, HSDevType devType, uint32_t blk_size, blk_allocator_type_t alloc_type,
+    void create_vdev_with_num_chunks(uint64_t size, HSDevType devType, uint32_t blk_size, blk_allocator_type_t alloc_type,
                      chunk_selector_type_t chunk_sel_type, uint32_t num_chunks);
 
+ /**
+  * @brief Creates a new virtual device with the specified size and block size, using the specified
+  * block allocator and chunk selector types. The virtual device will be composed of the specified
+  * size of chunks.
+  *
+  * @param size The size of the virtual device, in bytes.
+  * @param blk_size The size of each block in the virtual device, in bytes.
+  * @param alloc_type The type of block allocator to use for the virtual device.
+  * @param chunk_sel_type The type of chunk selector to use for the virtual device.
+  * @param chunk_size The size of chunks to use for the virtual device, in bytes.
+  */
+ void create_vdev_with_chunk_size(uint64_t size, HSDevType devType, uint32_t blk_size, blk_allocator_type_t alloc_type,
+                  chunk_selector_type_t chunk_sel_type, uint32_t chunk_size);
+
+
     /**
      * @brief Opens a virtual device with the specified virtual device information.
      *
diff --git a/src/lib/blkdata_svc/blkdata_service.cpp b/src/lib/blkdata_svc/blkdata_service.cpp
index 4acd3d846..4558cceae 100644
--- a/src/lib/blkdata_svc/blkdata_service.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/blkdata_svc/blkdata_service.cpp
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ BlkDataService::BlkDataService(shared< ChunkSelector > chunk_selector) :
 BlkDataService::~BlkDataService() = default;
 
 // first-time boot path
-void BlkDataService::create_vdev(uint64_t size, HSDevType devType, uint32_t blk_size, blk_allocator_type_t alloc_type,
+void BlkDataService::create_vdev_with_num_chunks(uint64_t size, HSDevType devType, uint32_t blk_size, blk_allocator_type_t alloc_type,
                                  chunk_selector_type_t chunk_sel_type, uint32_t num_chunks) {
     hs_vdev_context vdev_ctx;
     vdev_ctx.type = hs_vdev_type_t::DATA_VDEV;
@@ -55,6 +55,24 @@ void BlkDataService::create_vdev(uint64_t size, HSDevType devType, uint32_t blk_
                                                         .context_data = vdev_ctx.to_blob()});
 }
 
+void BlkDataService::create_vdev_with_chunk_size(uint64_t size, HSDevType devType, uint32_t blk_size, blk_allocator_type_t alloc_type,
+                                 chunk_selector_type_t chunk_sel_type, uint32_t chunk_size) {
+    hs_vdev_context vdev_ctx;
+    vdev_ctx.type = hs_vdev_type_t::DATA_VDEV;
+
+    if (blk_size == 0) { blk_size = hs()->device_mgr()->optimal_page_size(devType); }
+    m_vdev =
+        hs()->device_mgr()->create_vdev(vdev_parameters{.vdev_name = "blkdata",
+                                                        .vdev_size = size,
+                                                        .chunk_size = chunk_size,
+                                                        .blk_size = blk_size,
+                                                        .dev_type = devType,
+                                                        .alloc_type = alloc_type,
+                                                        .chunk_sel_type = chunk_sel_type,
+                                                        .multi_pdev_opts = vdev_multi_pdev_opts_t::ALL_PDEV_STRIPED,
+                                                        .context_data = vdev_ctx.to_blob()});
+}
+
 // both first_time_boot and recovery path will come here
 shared< VirtualDev > BlkDataService::open_vdev(const vdev_info& vinfo, bool load_existing) {
     if (m_vdev) return m_vdev;
diff --git a/src/lib/homestore.cpp b/src/lib/homestore.cpp
index feec506c5..17f6059e0 100644
--- a/src/lib/homestore.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/homestore.cpp
@@ -224,13 +224,33 @@ void HomeStore::format_and_start(std::map< uint32_t, hs_format_params >&& format
             m_index_service->create_vdev(pct_to_size(fparams.size_pct, fparams.dev_type), fparams.dev_type,
                                          fparams.num_chunks);
         } else if ((svc_type & HS_SERVICE::DATA) && has_data_service()) {
-            m_data_service->create_vdev(pct_to_size(fparams.size_pct, fparams.dev_type), fparams.dev_type,
-                                        fparams.block_size, fparams.alloc_type, fparams.chunk_sel_type,
-                                        fparams.num_chunks);
+            if (fparams.num_chunks != 0) {
+                m_data_service->create_vdev_with_num_chunks(pct_to_size(fparams.size_pct, fparams.dev_type),
+                                                            fparams.dev_type, fparams.block_size, fparams.alloc_type,
+                                                            fparams.chunk_sel_type,
+                                                            fparams.num_chunks);
+            } else if (fparams.chunk_size != 0) {
+                m_data_service->create_vdev_with_chunk_size(pct_to_size(fparams.size_pct, fparams.dev_type),
+                                                            fparams.dev_type, fparams.block_size, fparams.alloc_type,
+                                                            fparams.chunk_sel_type,
+                                                            fparams.chunk_size);
+            } else {
+                RELEASE_ASSERT(false, "Both num_chunks and chunk_size cant be zero for vdev");
+            }
         } else if ((svc_type & HS_SERVICE::REPLICATION) && has_repl_data_service()) {
-            m_data_service->create_vdev(pct_to_size(fparams.size_pct, fparams.dev_type), fparams.dev_type,
-                                        fparams.block_size, fparams.alloc_type, fparams.chunk_sel_type,
-                                        fparams.num_chunks);
+            if (fparams.num_chunks != 0) {
+                m_data_service->create_vdev_with_num_chunks(pct_to_size(fparams.size_pct, fparams.dev_type),
+                                                            fparams.dev_type, fparams.block_size, fparams.alloc_type,
+                                                            fparams.chunk_sel_type,
+                                                            fparams.num_chunks);
+            } else if (fparams.chunk_size != 0) {
+                m_data_service->create_vdev_with_chunk_size(pct_to_size(fparams.size_pct, fparams.dev_type),
+                                                            fparams.dev_type, fparams.block_size, fparams.alloc_type,
+                                                            fparams.chunk_sel_type,
+                                                            fparams.chunk_size);
+            } else {
+                RELEASE_ASSERT(false, "Both num_chunks and chunk_size cant be zero for vdev");
+            }
         }
     }