diff --git a/daemon/gluster-blockd.c b/daemon/gluster-blockd.c
index 99529bc..e986b89 100644
--- a/daemon/gluster-blockd.c
+++ b/daemon/gluster-blockd.c
@@ -479,7 +479,9 @@ static int
 blockNodeSanityCheck(void)
 {
   int ret;
+  bool use_targetclid = true;
   char *global_opts;
+  char *tmp;
 
 
   /*
@@ -516,6 +518,35 @@ blockNodeSanityCheck(void)
   if (GB_ASPRINTF(&global_opts, GB_TGCLI_GLOBALS, gbConf->configShellLogFile) == -1) {
     return ENOMEM;
   }
+
+  tmp = gbRunnerGetOutput(TARGETCLI_VERSION);
+  if (!gbDependencyVersionCompare(TARGETCLI_DAEMON, tmp)) {
+    use_targetclid = false;
+    LOG("mgmt", GB_LOG_WARNING,
+        "targetclid required: %s, current version: %s, using cli mode",
+        GB_MIN_TARGETCLI_DAEMON_VERSION, tmp);
+  }
+  GB_FREE(tmp);
+
+  if (use_targetclid) {
+    tmp = global_opts;
+    /* Check if targetclid is running */
+    ret = gbRunner("ps aux ww | grep -w '[t]argetclid' > /dev/null");
+    if (ret) {
+      LOG("mgmt", GB_LOG_WARNING, "targetclid not running, using targetcli");
+      if (GB_ASPRINTF(&global_opts, "targetcli --disable-daemon; %s", tmp) == -1) {
+        GB_FREE(tmp);
+        return ENOMEM;
+      }
+    } else {
+      if (GB_ASPRINTF(&global_opts, "%s auto_use_daemon=true", tmp) == -1) {
+        GB_FREE(tmp);
+        return ENOMEM;
+      }
+    }
+    GB_FREE(tmp);
+  }
+
   /* Set targetcli globals */
   ret = gbRunner(global_opts);
   GB_FREE(global_opts);
diff --git a/rpc/block_create.c b/rpc/block_create.c
index 0eeddc8..fb42b81 100644
--- a/rpc/block_create.c
+++ b/rpc/block_create.c
@@ -683,7 +683,7 @@ block_create_common(blockCreate *blk, char *control, char *volServer,
     goto out;
   }
 
-  if (GB_ASPRINTF(&exec, "targetcli <<EOF\n%s\n%s\nEOF", tmp, save) == -1) {
+  if (GB_ASPRINTF(&exec, "targetcli <<EOF\n%s\n%s\nexit\nEOF", tmp, save) == -1) {
     goto out;
   }
   GB_FREE(tmp);
diff --git a/rpc/block_delete.c b/rpc/block_delete.c
index 76353be..951819f 100644
--- a/rpc/block_delete.c
+++ b/rpc/block_delete.c
@@ -483,7 +483,7 @@ block_delete_1_svc_st(blockDelete *blk, struct svc_req *rqstp)
     goto out;
   }
 
-  if (GB_ASPRINTF(&exec, "targetcli <<EOF\n%s\n%s\nEOF", backstore, iqn) == -1) {
+  if (GB_ASPRINTF(&exec, "targetcli <<EOF\n%s\n%s\nexit\nEOF", backstore, iqn) == -1) {
     goto out;
   }
 
diff --git a/rpc/block_modify.c b/rpc/block_modify.c
index c3a3e8e..6e1352e 100644
--- a/rpc/block_modify.c
+++ b/rpc/block_modify.c
@@ -1031,7 +1031,7 @@ block_modify_1_svc_st(blockModify *blk, struct svc_req *rqstp)
     goto out;
   }
 
-  if (GB_ASPRINTF(&exec, "targetcli <<EOF\n%s\n%s\nEOF", tmp, save) == -1) {
+  if (GB_ASPRINTF(&exec, "targetcli <<EOF\n%s\n%s\nexit\nEOF", tmp, save) == -1) {
     goto out;
   }
 
@@ -1084,7 +1084,7 @@ block_modify_size_1_svc_st(blockModifySize *blk, struct svc_req *rqstp)
     goto out;
   }
 
-  if (GB_ASPRINTF(&exec, "targetcli <<EOF\n%s\n%s\nEOF", tmp, save) == -1) {
+  if (GB_ASPRINTF(&exec, "targetcli <<EOF\n%s\n%s\nexit\nEOF", tmp, save) == -1) {
     goto out;
   }
 
diff --git a/rpc/block_replace.c b/rpc/block_replace.c
index 26c3ef7..ab4a955 100644
--- a/rpc/block_replace.c
+++ b/rpc/block_replace.c
@@ -834,7 +834,7 @@ block_replace_1_svc_st(blockReplace *blk, struct svc_req *rqstp)
   }
 
   if (GB_ASPRINTF(&exec,
-                  "targetcli <<EOF\n%s delete %s ip_port=3260\n%s create %s\n%s\nEOF",
+                  "targetcli <<EOF\n%s delete %s ip_port=3260\n%s create %s\n%s\nexit\nEOF",
                   path, blk->ripaddr, path, blk->ipaddr, save) == -1) {
     goto out;
   }
diff --git a/systemd/gluster-block-target.service.in b/systemd/gluster-block-target.service.in
index fd2d8f7..2e16089 100644
--- a/systemd/gluster-block-target.service.in
+++ b/systemd/gluster-block-target.service.in
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 Conflicts=target.service
 Requisite=glusterd.service
 BindsTo=tcmu-runner.service
-After=glusterd.service tcmu-runner.service
+After=glusterd.service tcmu-runner.service targetclid.service
 
 [Service]
 ExecStop=
diff --git a/systemd/gluster-blockd.service.in b/systemd/gluster-blockd.service.in
index 34a3ac2..6e6a047 100644
--- a/systemd/gluster-blockd.service.in
+++ b/systemd/gluster-blockd.service.in
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ Description=Gluster block storage utility
 Requisite=glusterd.service
 Requires=rpcbind.service
 BindsTo=gluster-block-target.service
+Wants=targetclid.service
 After=gluster-block-target.service rpcbind.service
 
 [Service]
diff --git a/utils/utils.c b/utils/utils.c
index 1fbe654..54657c8 100644
--- a/utils/utils.c
+++ b/utils/utils.c
@@ -426,6 +426,11 @@ gbDependencyVersionCompare(int dependencyName, char *version)
       ret = true;
     }
     break;
+  case TARGETCLI_DAEMON:
+    if (DEPENDENCY_VERSION(vNum[0], vNum[1], vNum[2]) >= GB_MIN_TARGETCLI_DAEMON_VERSION_CODE) {
+      ret = true;
+    }
+    break;
   }
 
   GB_FREE(verStr);
diff --git a/utils/utils.h b/utils/utils.h
index dad1301..bbe157d 100644
--- a/utils/utils.h
+++ b/utils/utils.h
@@ -674,6 +674,7 @@ typedef enum gbDependencies {
   RTSLIB_RELOAD           = 5,
   CONFIGSHELL_SEMICOLON   = 6,
   TCMURUNNER_IO_TIMEOUT   = 7,
+  TARGETCLI_DAEMON        = 8,
 } gbDependencies;
 
 int initGbConfig(void);
diff --git a/version.h b/version.h
index 6d5a269..c1c2d07 100644
--- a/version.h
+++ b/version.h
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 # define  GB_MIN_RTSLIB_RELOAD_VERSION         "2.1.71"
 # define  GB_MIN_CONFIGSHELL_SEM_VERSION       "1.1.25"
 # define  GB_MIN_TCMURUNNER_IO_TIMEOUT_VERSION "1.5.0"
+# define  GB_MIN_TARGETCLI_DAEMON_VERSION      "2.1.fb51"
 
 # define  GB_MIN_TCMURUNNER_VERSION_CODE            DEPENDENCY_VERSION(1, 1, 3)
 # define  GB_MIN_TARGETCLI_VERSION_CODE             DEPENDENCY_VERSION(2, 1, 49)
@@ -42,5 +43,6 @@
 # define  GB_MIN_RTSLIB_RELOAD_VERSION_CODE         DEPENDENCY_VERSION(2, 1, 71)
 # define  GB_MIN_CONFIGSHELL_SEM_VERSION_CODE       DEPENDENCY_VERSION(1, 1, 25)
 # define  GB_MIN_TCMURUNNER_IO_TIMEOUT_VERSION_CODE DEPENDENCY_VERSION(1, 5, 0)
+# define  GB_MIN_TARGETCLI_DAEMON_VERSION_CODE      DEPENDENCY_VERSION(2, 1, 51)
 
 # endif /* _VERSION_H */