diff --git a/cmd/zpool/zpool_main.c b/cmd/zpool/zpool_main.c
index cc8fbaca8..0d21b7e73 100644
--- a/cmd/zpool/zpool_main.c
+++ b/cmd/zpool/zpool_main.c
@@ -831,6 +831,7 @@ zpool_do_create(int argc, char **argv)
 				goto errout;
 			break;
 		case 'm':
+			/* Equivalent to -O mountpoint=optarg */
 			mountpoint = optarg;
 			break;
 		case 'o':
@@ -869,8 +870,18 @@ zpool_do_create(int argc, char **argv)
 			*propval = '\0';
 			propval++;
 
-			if (add_prop_list(optarg, propval, &fsprops, B_FALSE))
+			/*
+			 * Mountpoints are checked and then added later.
+			 * Uniquely among properties, they can be specified
+			 * more than once, to avoid conflict with -m.
+			 */
+			if (0 == strcmp(optarg,
+			    zfs_prop_to_name(ZFS_PROP_MOUNTPOINT))) {
+				mountpoint = propval;
+			} else if (add_prop_list(optarg, propval, &fsprops,
+			    B_FALSE)) {
 				goto errout;
+			}
 			break;
 		case ':':
 			(void) fprintf(stderr, gettext("missing argument for "
@@ -987,6 +998,18 @@ zpool_do_create(int argc, char **argv)
 		}
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * Now that the mountpoint's validity has been checked, ensure that
+	 * the property is set appropriately prior to creating the pool.
+	 */
+	if (mountpoint != NULL) {
+		ret = add_prop_list(zfs_prop_to_name(ZFS_PROP_MOUNTPOINT),
+		    mountpoint, &fsprops, B_FALSE);
+		if (ret != 0)
+			goto errout;
+	}
+
+	ret = 1;
 	if (dryrun) {
 		/*
 		 * For a dry run invocation, print out a basic message and run
@@ -1021,21 +1044,19 @@ zpool_do_create(int argc, char **argv)
 				if (nvlist_exists(props, propname))
 					continue;
 
-				if (add_prop_list(propname, ZFS_FEATURE_ENABLED,
-				    &props, B_TRUE) != 0)
+				ret = add_prop_list(propname,
+				    ZFS_FEATURE_ENABLED, &props, B_TRUE);
+				if (ret != 0)
 					goto errout;
 			}
 		}
+
+		ret = 1;
 		if (zpool_create(g_zfs, poolname,
 		    nvroot, props, fsprops) == 0) {
 			zfs_handle_t *pool = zfs_open(g_zfs, poolname,
 			    ZFS_TYPE_FILESYSTEM);
 			if (pool != NULL) {
-				if (mountpoint != NULL)
-					verify(zfs_prop_set(pool,
-					    zfs_prop_to_name(
-					    ZFS_PROP_MOUNTPOINT),
-					    mountpoint) == 0);
 				if (zfs_mount(pool, NULL, 0) == 0)
 					ret = zfs_shareall(pool);
 				zfs_close(pool);
diff --git a/lib/libzfs/libzfs_pool.c b/lib/libzfs/libzfs_pool.c
index 8b3edec16..a221f9fc7 100644
--- a/lib/libzfs/libzfs_pool.c
+++ b/lib/libzfs/libzfs_pool.c
@@ -1159,7 +1159,6 @@ zpool_create(libzfs_handle_t *hdl, const char *pool, nvlist_t *nvroot,
 	nvlist_t *zc_fsprops = NULL;
 	nvlist_t *zc_props = NULL;
 	char msg[1024];
-	char *altroot;
 	int ret = -1;
 
 	(void) snprintf(msg, sizeof (msg), dgettext(TEXT_DOMAIN,
@@ -1260,21 +1259,6 @@ zpool_create(libzfs_handle_t *hdl, const char *pool, nvlist_t *nvroot,
 		}
 	}
 
-	/*
-	 * If this is an alternate root pool, then we automatically set the
-	 * mountpoint of the root dataset to be '/'.
-	 */
-	if (nvlist_lookup_string(props, zpool_prop_to_name(ZPOOL_PROP_ALTROOT),
-	    &altroot) == 0) {
-		zfs_handle_t *zhp;
-
-		verify((zhp = zfs_open(hdl, pool, ZFS_TYPE_DATASET)) != NULL);
-		verify(zfs_prop_set(zhp, zfs_prop_to_name(ZFS_PROP_MOUNTPOINT),
-		    "/") == 0);
-
-		zfs_close(zhp);
-	}
-
 create_failed:
 	zcmd_free_nvlists(&zc);
 	nvlist_free(zc_props);