diff --git a/module/zfs/dsl_pool.c b/module/zfs/dsl_pool.c
index 7185540f1..6c54193ce 100644
--- a/module/zfs/dsl_pool.c
+++ b/module/zfs/dsl_pool.c
@@ -275,8 +275,8 @@ dsl_pool_create(spa_t *spa, nvlist_t *zplprops, uint64_t txg)
 
 	/* create the root objset */
 	VERIFY(0 == dsl_dataset_hold_obj(dp, obj, FTAG, &ds));
-	os = dmu_objset_create_impl(dp->dp_spa, ds,
-	    dsl_dataset_get_blkptr(ds), DMU_OST_ZFS, tx);
+	VERIFY(NULL != (os = dmu_objset_create_impl(dp->dp_spa, ds,
+	    dsl_dataset_get_blkptr(ds), DMU_OST_ZFS, tx)));
 #ifdef _KERNEL
 	zfs_create_fs(os, kcred, zplprops, tx);
 #endif