diff --git a/cmd/zpool/zpool_vdev.c b/cmd/zpool/zpool_vdev.c
index d4838ad2d..0c4c97075 100644
--- a/cmd/zpool/zpool_vdev.c
+++ b/cmd/zpool/zpool_vdev.c
@@ -384,23 +384,9 @@ static int
 is_shorthand_path(const char *arg, char *path,
                   struct stat64 *statbuf, boolean_t *wholedisk)
 {
-	char dirs[5][9] = {"by-id", "by-label", "by-path", "by-uuid", "zpool"};
-	int i, err;
-
-	/* /dev/<name> */
-	(void) snprintf(path, MAXPATHLEN, "%s/%s", DISK_ROOT, arg);
-	*wholedisk = is_whole_disk(path);
-	err = stat64(path, statbuf);
-	if (*wholedisk || err == 0)
-		return (0);
-
-	/* /dev/disk/<dirs>/<name> */
-	for (i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
-		(void) snprintf(path, MAXPATHLEN, "%s/%s/%s",
-		    UDISK_ROOT, dirs[i], arg);
+	if (zfs_resolve_shortname(arg, path, MAXPATHLEN) == 0) {
 		*wholedisk = is_whole_disk(path);
-		err = stat64(path, statbuf);
-		if (*wholedisk || err == 0)
+		if (*wholedisk || (stat64(path, statbuf) == 0))
 			return (0);
 	}
 
@@ -1009,13 +995,7 @@ make_disks(zpool_handle_t *zhp, nvlist_t *nv)
 		 * for *-part# to be created.  Otherwise just use the normal
 		 * syntax for devices in /dev.
 		 */
-		if (strncmp(path, UDISK_ROOT, strlen(UDISK_ROOT)) == 0)
-			(void) snprintf(buf, sizeof (buf),
-			    "%s%s%s", path, "-part", FIRST_SLICE);
-		else
-			(void) snprintf(buf, sizeof (buf),
-			    "%s%s%s", path, isdigit(path[strlen(path)-1]) ?
-			    "p" : "", FIRST_SLICE);
+		zfs_append_partition(path, buf, sizeof (buf));
 
 		if ((ret = zpool_label_disk_wait(buf, 1000)) != 0) {
 			(void) fprintf(stderr,
diff --git a/include/libzfs.h b/include/libzfs.h
index dcbd283ac..6752579e8 100644
--- a/include/libzfs.h
+++ b/include/libzfs.h
@@ -630,6 +630,8 @@ extern zfs_handle_t *zfs_path_to_zhandle(libzfs_handle_t *, char *, zfs_type_t);
 extern boolean_t zfs_dataset_exists(libzfs_handle_t *, const char *,
     zfs_type_t);
 extern int zfs_spa_version(zfs_handle_t *, int *);
+extern void zfs_append_partition(const char *path, char *buf, size_t buflen);
+extern int zfs_resolve_shortname(const char *name, char *path, size_t pathlen);
 
 /*
  * Mount support functions.
diff --git a/lib/libzfs/libzfs_util.c b/lib/libzfs/libzfs_util.c
index d72b7c0fc..01995f802 100644
--- a/lib/libzfs/libzfs_util.c
+++ b/lib/libzfs/libzfs_util.c
@@ -801,6 +801,46 @@ zfs_path_to_zhandle(libzfs_handle_t *hdl, char *path, zfs_type_t argtype)
 	return (zfs_open(hdl, entry.mnt_special, ZFS_TYPE_FILESYSTEM));
 }
 
+/*
+ * Given a shorthand device name, check if a file by that name exists in a list
+ * of directories under /dev.  If one is found, store its full path in the
+ * buffer pointed to by the path argument and return 0, else return -1.  The
+ * path buffer must be allocated by the caller.
+ */
+int
+zfs_resolve_shortname(const char *name, char *path, size_t pathlen)
+{
+	int i, err;
+	char dirs[5][9] = {"by-id", "by-label", "by-path", "by-uuid", "zpool"};
+
+	(void) snprintf(path, pathlen, "%s/%s", DISK_ROOT, name);
+	err = access(path, F_OK);
+	for (i = 0; i < 5 && err < 0; i++) {
+		(void) snprintf(path, pathlen, "%s/%s/%s",
+		    UDISK_ROOT, dirs[i], name);
+		err = access(path, F_OK);
+	}
+	return err;
+}
+
+/*
+ * Append partition suffix to a device path.  This should be used to generate
+ * the name of a whole disk as it is stored in the vdev label.  The
+ * user-visible names of whole disks do not contain the partition information.
+ * Modifies buf which must be allocated by the caller.
+ */
+void
+zfs_append_partition(const char *path, char *buf, size_t buflen)
+{
+	if (strncmp(path, UDISK_ROOT, strlen(UDISK_ROOT)) == 0)
+		(void) snprintf(buf, buflen, "%s%s%s", path, "-part",
+			FIRST_SLICE);
+	else
+		(void) snprintf(buf, buflen, "%s%s%s", path,
+			isdigit(path[strlen(path)-1]) ?  "p" : "",
+			FIRST_SLICE);
+}
+
 /*
  * Initialize the zc_nvlist_dst member to prepare for receiving an nvlist from
  * an ioctl().