Index: spa.c
===================================================================
--- spa.c	(revision 253644)
+++ spa.c	(working copy)
@@ -5763,7 +5768,7 @@ spa_async_thread(void *arg)
 
 	mutex_enter(&spa->spa_async_lock);
 	tasks = spa->spa_async_tasks;
-	spa->spa_async_tasks = 0;
+	spa->spa_async_tasks &= SPA_ASYNC_REMOVE;
 	mutex_exit(&spa->spa_async_lock);
 
 	/*
@@ -5789,19 +5794,6 @@ spa_async_thread(void *arg)
 		}
 	}
 
-	/*
-	 * See if any devices need to be marked REMOVED.
-	 */
-	if (tasks & SPA_ASYNC_REMOVE) {
-		spa_vdev_state_enter(spa, SCL_NONE);
-		spa_async_remove(spa, spa->spa_root_vdev);
-		for (int i = 0; i < spa->spa_l2cache.sav_count; i++)
-			spa_async_remove(spa, spa->spa_l2cache.sav_vdevs[i]);
-		for (int i = 0; i < spa->spa_spares.sav_count; i++)
-			spa_async_remove(spa, spa->spa_spares.sav_vdevs[i]);
-		(void) spa_vdev_state_exit(spa, NULL, 0);
-	}
-
 	if ((tasks & SPA_ASYNC_AUTOEXPAND) && !spa_suspended(spa)) {
 		spa_config_enter(spa, SCL_CONFIG, FTAG, RW_READER);
 		spa_async_autoexpand(spa, spa->spa_root_vdev);
@@ -5839,12 +5831,52 @@ spa_async_thread(void *arg)
 	thread_exit();
 }
 
+static void
+spa_async_vdthread(void *arg)
+{
+	spa_t *spa = arg;
+	int tasks;
+
+	ASSERT(spa->spa_sync_on);
+
+	mutex_enter(&spa->spa_async_lock);
+	tasks = spa->spa_async_tasks;
+retry:
+	spa->spa_async_tasks &= ~SPA_ASYNC_REMOVE;
+	mutex_exit(&spa->spa_async_lock);
+
+	/*
+	 * See if any devices need to be marked REMOVED.
+	 */
+	if (tasks & SPA_ASYNC_REMOVE) {
+		spa_vdev_state_enter(spa, SCL_NONE);
+		spa_async_remove(spa, spa->spa_root_vdev);
+		for (int i = 0; i < spa->spa_l2cache.sav_count; i++)
+			spa_async_remove(spa, spa->spa_l2cache.sav_vdevs[i]);
+		for (int i = 0; i < spa->spa_spares.sav_count; i++)
+			spa_async_remove(spa, spa->spa_spares.sav_vdevs[i]);
+		(void) spa_vdev_state_exit(spa, NULL, 0);
+	}
+
+	/*
+	 * Let the world know that we're done.
+	 */
+	mutex_enter(&spa->spa_async_lock);
+	tasks = spa->spa_async_tasks;
+	if ((tasks & SPA_ASYNC_REMOVE) != 0)
+		goto retry;
+	spa->spa_async_vdthread = NULL;
+	cv_broadcast(&spa->spa_async_cv);
+	mutex_exit(&spa->spa_async_lock);
+	thread_exit();
+}
+
 void
 spa_async_suspend(spa_t *spa)
 {
 	mutex_enter(&spa->spa_async_lock);
 	spa->spa_async_suspended++;
-	while (spa->spa_async_thread != NULL)
+	while (spa->spa_async_thread != NULL && spa->spa_async_vdthread != NULL)
 		cv_wait(&spa->spa_async_cv, &spa->spa_async_lock);
 	mutex_exit(&spa->spa_async_lock);
 }
@@ -5865,7 +5897,8 @@ spa_async_tasks_pending(spa_t *spa)
 	uint_t config_task;
 	boolean_t config_task_suspended;
 
-	non_config_tasks = spa->spa_async_tasks & ~SPA_ASYNC_CONFIG_UPDATE;
+	non_config_tasks = spa->spa_async_tasks & ~(SPA_ASYNC_CONFIG_UPDATE |
+	    SPA_ASYNC_REMOVE);
 	config_task = spa->spa_async_tasks & SPA_ASYNC_CONFIG_UPDATE;
 	if (spa->spa_ccw_fail_time == 0) {
 		config_task_suspended = B_FALSE;
@@ -5891,6 +5924,19 @@ spa_async_dispatch(spa_t *spa)
 	mutex_exit(&spa->spa_async_lock);
 }
 
+static void
+spa_async_dispatch_vd(spa_t *spa)
+{
+	mutex_enter(&spa->spa_async_lock);
+	if ((spa->spa_async_tasks & SPA_ASYNC_REMOVE) != 0 &&
+	    !spa->spa_async_suspended &&
+	    spa->spa_async_vdthread == NULL &&
+	    rootdir != NULL)
+		spa->spa_async_vdthread = thread_create(NULL, 0,
+		    spa_async_vdthread, spa, 0, &p0, TS_RUN, maxclsyspri);
+	mutex_exit(&spa->spa_async_lock);
+}
+
 void
 spa_async_request(spa_t *spa, int task)
 {
@@ -5898,6 +5944,9 @@ spa_async_request(spa_t *spa, int task)
 	mutex_enter(&spa->spa_async_lock);
 	spa->spa_async_tasks |= task;
 	mutex_exit(&spa->spa_async_lock);
+	if ((task & SPA_ASYNC_REMOVE) != 0 &&
+	    spa->spa_state != POOL_STATE_UNINITIALIZED)
+		spa_async_dispatch_vd(spa);
 }
 
 /*