diff --git a/module/zfs/vdev_queue.c b/module/zfs/vdev_queue.c
index 6f3c4208a..02040c3ee 100644
--- a/module/zfs/vdev_queue.c
+++ b/module/zfs/vdev_queue.c
@@ -338,14 +338,12 @@ vdev_queue_max_async_writes(spa_t *spa)
 	 * Sync tasks correspond to interactive user actions. To reduce the
 	 * execution time of those actions we push data out as fast as possible.
 	 */
-	if (spa_has_pending_synctask(spa))
+	dirty = dp->dp_dirty_total;
+	if (dirty > max_bytes || spa_has_pending_synctask(spa))
 		return (zfs_vdev_async_write_max_active);
 
-	dirty = dp->dp_dirty_total;
 	if (dirty < min_bytes)
 		return (zfs_vdev_async_write_min_active);
-	if (dirty > max_bytes)
-		return (zfs_vdev_async_write_max_active);
 
 	/*
 	 * linear interpolation: