diff --git a/include/sys/spa.h b/include/sys/spa.h
index 494326843..8323662f6 100644
--- a/include/sys/spa.h
+++ b/include/sys/spa.h
@@ -1136,7 +1136,7 @@ extern void spa_set_missing_tvds(spa_t *spa, uint64_t missing);
 extern boolean_t spa_top_vdevs_spacemap_addressable(spa_t *spa);
 extern uint64_t spa_total_metaslabs(spa_t *spa);
 extern boolean_t spa_multihost(spa_t *spa);
-extern unsigned long spa_get_hostid(void);
+extern uint32_t spa_get_hostid(spa_t *spa);
 extern void spa_activate_allocation_classes(spa_t *, dmu_tx_t *);
 extern boolean_t spa_livelist_delete_check(spa_t *spa);
 
diff --git a/include/sys/spa_impl.h b/include/sys/spa_impl.h
index 503600c8c..71b07405c 100644
--- a/include/sys/spa_impl.h
+++ b/include/sys/spa_impl.h
@@ -411,6 +411,7 @@ struct spa {
 	mmp_thread_t	spa_mmp;		/* multihost mmp thread */
 	list_t		spa_leaf_list;		/* list of leaf vdevs */
 	uint64_t	spa_leaf_list_gen;	/* track leaf_list changes */
+	uint32_t	spa_hostid;		/* cached system hostid */
 
 	/*
 	 * spa_refcount & spa_config_lock must be the last elements
diff --git a/module/zfs/spa.c b/module/zfs/spa.c
index 0e2cd31b1..56c6dd8cd 100644
--- a/module/zfs/spa.c
+++ b/module/zfs/spa.c
@@ -589,8 +589,13 @@ spa_prop_validate(spa_t *spa, nvlist_t *props)
 			if (!error && intval > 1)
 				error = SET_ERROR(EINVAL);
 
-			if (!error && !spa_get_hostid())
-				error = SET_ERROR(ENOTSUP);
+			if (!error) {
+				uint32_t hostid = zone_get_hostid(NULL);
+				if (hostid)
+					spa->spa_hostid = hostid;
+				else
+					error = SET_ERROR(ENOTSUP);
+			}
 
 			break;
 
@@ -2970,7 +2975,7 @@ spa_activity_check_required(spa_t *spa, uberblock_t *ub, nvlist_t *label,
 	if (nvlist_exists(label, ZPOOL_CONFIG_HOSTID))
 		hostid = fnvlist_lookup_uint64(label, ZPOOL_CONFIG_HOSTID);
 
-	if (hostid == spa_get_hostid())
+	if (hostid == spa_get_hostid(spa))
 		return (B_FALSE);
 
 	/*
@@ -3489,7 +3494,7 @@ spa_ld_select_uberblock(spa_t *spa, spa_import_type_t type)
 	    spa->spa_config);
 	if (activity_check) {
 		if (ub->ub_mmp_magic == MMP_MAGIC && ub->ub_mmp_delay &&
-		    spa_get_hostid() == 0) {
+		    spa_get_hostid(spa) == 0) {
 			nvlist_free(label);
 			fnvlist_add_uint64(spa->spa_load_info,
 			    ZPOOL_CONFIG_MMP_STATE, MMP_STATE_NO_HOSTID);
@@ -4176,7 +4181,7 @@ spa_ld_load_vdev_metadata(spa_t *spa)
 	 * be imported when the system hostid is zero.  The exception to
 	 * this rule is zdb which is always allowed to access pools.
 	 */
-	if (spa_multihost(spa) && spa_get_hostid() == 0 &&
+	if (spa_multihost(spa) && spa_get_hostid(spa) == 0 &&
 	    (spa->spa_import_flags & ZFS_IMPORT_SKIP_MMP) == 0) {
 		fnvlist_add_uint64(spa->spa_load_info,
 		    ZPOOL_CONFIG_MMP_STATE, MMP_STATE_NO_HOSTID);
diff --git a/module/zfs/spa_config.c b/module/zfs/spa_config.c
index 43da79dc3..de1ad21da 100644
--- a/module/zfs/spa_config.c
+++ b/module/zfs/spa_config.c
@@ -457,7 +457,7 @@ spa_config_generate(spa_t *spa, vdev_t *vd, uint64_t txg, int getstats)
 		fnvlist_add_string(config, ZPOOL_CONFIG_COMMENT,
 		    spa->spa_comment);
 
-	hostid = spa_get_hostid();
+	hostid = spa_get_hostid(spa);
 	if (hostid != 0)
 		fnvlist_add_uint64(config, ZPOOL_CONFIG_HOSTID, hostid);
 	fnvlist_add_string(config, ZPOOL_CONFIG_HOSTNAME, utsname()->nodename);
diff --git a/module/zfs/spa_misc.c b/module/zfs/spa_misc.c
index a18f9604a..1ee110b54 100644
--- a/module/zfs/spa_misc.c
+++ b/module/zfs/spa_misc.c
@@ -668,6 +668,7 @@ spa_add(const char *name, nvlist_t *config, const char *altroot)
 	spa->spa_proc = &p0;
 	spa->spa_proc_state = SPA_PROC_NONE;
 	spa->spa_trust_config = B_TRUE;
+	spa->spa_hostid = zone_get_hostid(NULL);
 
 	spa->spa_deadman_synctime = MSEC2NSEC(zfs_deadman_synctime_ms);
 	spa->spa_deadman_ziotime = MSEC2NSEC(zfs_deadman_ziotime_ms);
@@ -2560,22 +2561,10 @@ spa_multihost(spa_t *spa)
 	return (spa->spa_multihost ? B_TRUE : B_FALSE);
 }
 
-unsigned long
-spa_get_hostid(void)
+uint32_t
+spa_get_hostid(spa_t *spa)
 {
-	unsigned long myhostid;
-
-#ifdef	_KERNEL
-	myhostid = zone_get_hostid(NULL);
-#else	/* _KERNEL */
-	/*
-	 * We're emulating the system's hostid in userland, so
-	 * we can't use zone_get_hostid().
-	 */
-	(void) ddi_strtoul(hw_serial, NULL, 10, &myhostid);
-#endif	/* _KERNEL */
-
-	return (myhostid);
+	return (spa->spa_hostid);
 }
 
 boolean_t
diff --git a/tests/runfiles/linux.run b/tests/runfiles/linux.run
index d05ff6120..182e6137a 100644
--- a/tests/runfiles/linux.run
+++ b/tests/runfiles/linux.run
@@ -657,7 +657,7 @@ tags = ['functional', 'mmap']
 tests = ['mmp_on_thread', 'mmp_on_uberblocks', 'mmp_on_off', 'mmp_interval',
     'mmp_active_import', 'mmp_inactive_import', 'mmp_exported_import',
     'mmp_write_uberblocks', 'mmp_reset_interval', 'multihost_history',
-    'mmp_on_zdb', 'mmp_write_distribution']
+    'mmp_on_zdb', 'mmp_write_distribution', 'mmp_hostid']
 tags = ['functional', 'mmp']
 
 [tests/functional/mount]
diff --git a/tests/zfs-tests/tests/functional/mmp/Makefile.am b/tests/zfs-tests/tests/functional/mmp/Makefile.am
index e39a0a5aa..2848fd4ce 100644
--- a/tests/zfs-tests/tests/functional/mmp/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/zfs-tests/tests/functional/mmp/Makefile.am
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ dist_pkgdata_SCRIPTS = \
 	mmp_reset_interval.ksh \
 	mmp_on_zdb.ksh \
 	mmp_write_distribution.ksh \
+	mmp_hostid.ksh \
 	setup.ksh \
 	cleanup.ksh
 
diff --git a/tests/zfs-tests/tests/functional/mmp/mmp_hostid.ksh b/tests/zfs-tests/tests/functional/mmp/mmp_hostid.ksh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..b492b1070
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/zfs-tests/tests/functional/mmp/mmp_hostid.ksh
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+#!/bin/ksh -p
+#
+# CDDL HEADER START
+#
+# This file and its contents are supplied under the terms of the
+# Common Development and Distribution License ("CDDL"), version 1.0.
+# You may only use this file in accordance with the terms of version
+# 1.0 of the CDDL.
+#
+# A full copy of the text of the CDDL should have accompanied this
+# source.  A copy of the CDDL is also available via the Internet at
+# http://www.illumos.org/license/CDDL.
+#
+# CDDL HEADER END
+#
+
+#
+# Copyright (c) 2019 by Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC.
+#
+
+# DESCRIPTION:
+#	Verify the hostid file can reside on a ZFS dataset.
+#
+# STRATEGY:
+#	1. Create a non-redundant pool
+#	2. Create an 'etc' dataset containing a valid hostid file
+#	3. Create a file so the pool will have some contents
+#	4. Verify multihost cannot be enabled until the /etc/hostid is linked
+#	5. Verify vdevs may be attached and detached
+#	6. Verify normal, cache, log and special vdevs can be added
+#	7. Verify normal, cache, and log vdevs can be removed
+#
+
+. $STF_SUITE/include/libtest.shlib
+. $STF_SUITE/tests/functional/mmp/mmp.cfg
+. $STF_SUITE/tests/functional/mmp/mmp.kshlib
+
+verify_runnable "both"
+
+function cleanup
+{
+	default_cleanup_noexit
+	log_must rm $MMP_DIR/file.{0,1,2,3,4,5}
+	log_must rmdir $MMP_DIR
+	log_must mmp_clear_hostid
+}
+
+log_assert "Verify hostid file can reside on a ZFS dataset"
+log_onexit cleanup
+
+log_must mkdir -p $MMP_DIR
+log_must truncate -s $MINVDEVSIZE $MMP_DIR/file.{0,1,2,3,4,5}
+
+# 1. Create a non-redundant pool
+log_must zpool create $MMP_POOL $MMP_DIR/file.0
+
+# 2. Create an 'etc' dataset containing a valid hostid file; caching is
+#    disabled on the dataset to force the hostid to be read from disk.
+log_must zfs create -o primarycache=none -o secondarycache=none $MMP_POOL/etc
+mntpnt_etc=$(get_prop mountpoint $MMP_POOL/etc)
+log_must mmp_set_hostid $HOSTID1
+log_must mv $HOSTID_FILE $mntpnt_etc/hostid
+
+# 3. Create a file so the pool will have some contents
+log_must zfs create $MMP_POOL/fs
+mntpnt_fs=$(get_prop mountpoint $MMP_POOL/fs)
+log_must mkfile 1M $fs_mntpnt/file
+
+# 4. Verify multihost cannot be enabled until the /etc/hostid is linked
+log_mustnot zpool set multihost=on $MMP_POOL
+log_must ln -s $mntpnt_etc/hostid $HOSTID_FILE
+log_must zpool set multihost=on $MMP_POOL
+
+# 5. Verify vdevs may be attached and detached
+log_must zpool attach $MMP_POOL $MMP_DIR/file.0 $MMP_DIR/file.1
+log_must zpool detach $MMP_POOL $MMP_DIR/file.1
+
+# 6. Verify normal, cache, log and special vdevs can be added
+log_must zpool add $MMP_POOL $MMP_DIR/file.1
+log_must zpool add $MMP_POOL $MMP_DIR/file.2
+log_must zpool add $MMP_POOL cache $MMP_DIR/file.3
+log_must zpool add $MMP_POOL log $MMP_DIR/file.4
+log_must zpool add $MMP_POOL special $MMP_DIR/file.5
+
+# 7. Verify normal, cache, and log vdevs can be removed
+log_must zpool remove $MMP_POOL $MMP_DIR/file.2
+log_must zpool remove $MMP_POOL $MMP_DIR/file.3
+log_must zpool remove $MMP_POOL $MMP_DIR/file.4
+
+log_pass "Verify hostid file can reside on a ZFS dataset."