diff --git a/src/common/libkvs/kvs.c b/src/common/libkvs/kvs.c
index d6d535ce7cfa..14ac86ded92f 100644
--- a/src/common/libkvs/kvs.c
+++ b/src/common/libkvs/kvs.c
@@ -16,22 +16,53 @@
 #include <jansson.h>
 #include <flux/core.h>
 
+#include "src/common/libutil/blobref.h"
+
+#include "treeobj.h"
 #include "kvs_util_private.h"
 
 flux_future_t *flux_kvs_namespace_create (flux_t *h, const char *ns,
                                           uint32_t owner, int flags)
 {
+    flux_future_t *rv = NULL;
+    const char *hash_name;
+    json_t *rootdir = NULL;
+    char rootref[BLOBREF_MAX_STRING_SIZE];
+    void *data = NULL;
+    int len;
+
     if (!ns || flags) {
         errno = EINVAL;
         return NULL;
     }
 
+    if (!(hash_name = flux_attr_get (h, "content.hash")))
+        goto cleanup;
+
+    if (!(rootdir = treeobj_create_dir ()))
+        goto cleanup;
+
+    if (!(data = treeobj_encode (rootdir)))
+        goto cleanup;
+    len = strlen (data);
+
+    /* N.B. blobref of empty treeobj dir guaranteed to be in content store
+     * b/c that is how the primary KVS is initialized.
+     */
+    if (blobref_hash (hash_name, data, len, rootref, sizeof (rootref)) < 0)
+        goto cleanup;
+
     /* N.B. owner cast to int */
-    return flux_rpc_pack (h, "kvs.namespace-create", 0, 0,
-                          "{ s:s s:i s:i }",
-                          "namespace", ns,
-                          "owner", owner,
-                          "flags", flags);
+    rv = flux_rpc_pack (h, "kvs.namespace-create", 0, 0,
+                           "{ s:s s:s s:i s:i }",
+                           "namespace", ns,
+                           "rootref", rootref,
+                           "owner", owner,
+                           "flags", flags);
+cleanup:
+    json_decref (rootdir);
+    free (data);
+    return rv;
 }
 
 flux_future_t *flux_kvs_namespace_remove (flux_t *h, const char *ns)
diff --git a/src/modules/kvs/kvs.c b/src/modules/kvs/kvs.c
index 65d840f34f3a..e79536c6eae5 100644
--- a/src/modules/kvs/kvs.c
+++ b/src/modules/kvs/kvs.c
@@ -2230,15 +2230,12 @@ static void stats_clear_request_cb (flux_t *h, flux_msg_handler_t *mh,
 }
 
 static int namespace_create (struct kvs_ctx *ctx, const char *ns,
-                             uint32_t owner, int flags, const char **errmsg)
+                             const char *rootref, uint32_t owner,
+                             int flags, const char **errmsg)
 {
     struct kvsroot *root;
-    json_t *rootdir = NULL;
-    char ref[BLOBREF_MAX_STRING_SIZE];
-    void *data = NULL;
     flux_msg_t *msg = NULL;
     char *topic = NULL;
-    int len;
     int rv = -1;
 
     /* If namespace already exists, return EEXIST.  Doesn't matter if
@@ -2262,23 +2259,7 @@ static int namespace_create (struct kvs_ctx *ctx, const char *ns,
         return -1;
     }
 
-    if (!(rootdir = treeobj_create_dir ())) {
-        flux_log_error (ctx->h, "%s: treeobj_create_dir", __FUNCTION__);
-        goto cleanup;
-    }
-
-    if (!(data = treeobj_encode (rootdir))) {
-        flux_log_error (ctx->h, "%s: treeobj_encode", __FUNCTION__);
-        goto cleanup;
-    }
-    len = strlen (data);
-
-    if (blobref_hash (ctx->hash_name, data, len, ref, sizeof (ref)) < 0) {
-        flux_log_error (ctx->h, "%s: blobref_hash", __FUNCTION__);
-        goto cleanup;
-    }
-
-    setroot (ctx, root, ref, 0);
+    setroot (ctx, root, rootref, 0);
 
     if (event_subscribe (ctx, ns) < 0) {
         flux_log_error (ctx->h, "%s: event_subscribe", __FUNCTION__);
@@ -2312,8 +2293,6 @@ static int namespace_create (struct kvs_ctx *ctx, const char *ns,
 cleanup:
     if (rv < 0)
         kvsroot_mgr_remove_root (ctx->krm, ns);
-    free (data);
-    json_decref (rootdir);
     free (topic);
     flux_msg_destroy (msg);
     return rv;
@@ -2325,14 +2304,16 @@ static void namespace_create_request_cb (flux_t *h, flux_msg_handler_t *mh,
     struct kvs_ctx *ctx = arg;
     const char *errmsg = NULL;
     const char *ns;
+    const char *rootref;
     uint32_t owner;
     int flags;
 
     assert (ctx->rank == 0);
 
     /* N.B. owner read into uint32_t */
-    if (flux_request_unpack (msg, NULL, "{ s:s s:i s:i }",
+    if (flux_request_unpack (msg, NULL, "{ s:s s:s s:i s:i }",
                              "namespace", &ns,
+                             "rootref", &rootref,
                              "owner", &owner,
                              "flags", &flags) < 0) {
         flux_log_error (h, "%s: flux_request_unpack", __FUNCTION__);
@@ -2342,7 +2323,7 @@ static void namespace_create_request_cb (flux_t *h, flux_msg_handler_t *mh,
     if (owner == FLUX_USERID_UNKNOWN)
         owner = getuid ();
 
-    if (namespace_create (ctx, ns, owner, flags, &errmsg) < 0)
+    if (namespace_create (ctx, ns, rootref, owner, flags, &errmsg) < 0)
         goto error;
 
     if (flux_respond (h, msg, NULL) < 0)