diff --git a/cmd/zdb/zdb.c b/cmd/zdb/zdb.c
index d815d2044..3c69a696d 100644
--- a/cmd/zdb/zdb.c
+++ b/cmd/zdb/zdb.c
@@ -3227,8 +3227,10 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	char *target;
 	nvlist_t *policy = NULL;
 	uint64_t max_txg = UINT64_MAX;
+	int flags = ZFS_IMPORT_MISSING_LOG;
 	int rewind = ZPOOL_NEVER_REWIND;
 	char *spa_config_path_env;
+	const char *opts = "bcdhilmM:suCDRSAFLVXevp:t:U:P";
 
 	(void) setrlimit(RLIMIT_NOFILE, &rl);
 	(void) enable_extended_FILE_stdio(-1, -1);
@@ -3244,7 +3246,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	if (spa_config_path_env != NULL)
 		spa_config_path = spa_config_path_env;
 
-	while ((c = getopt(argc, argv, "bcdhilmM:suCDRSAFLXevp:t:U:P")) != -1) {
+	while ((c = getopt(argc, argv, opts)) != -1) {
 		switch (c) {
 		case 'b':
 		case 'c':
@@ -3270,6 +3272,9 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		case 'P':
 			dump_opt[c]++;
 			break;
+		case 'V':
+			flags = ZFS_IMPORT_VERBATIM;
+			break;
 		case 'v':
 			verbose++;
 			break;
@@ -3381,11 +3386,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 				fatal("can't open '%s': %s",
 				    target, strerror(ENOMEM));
 			}
-			if ((error = spa_import(name, cfg, NULL,
-			    ZFS_IMPORT_MISSING_LOG)) != 0) {
-				error = spa_import(name, cfg, NULL,
-				    ZFS_IMPORT_VERBATIM);
-			}
+			error = spa_import(name, cfg, NULL, flags);
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/man/man8/zdb.8 b/man/man8/zdb.8
index 6f4f40d1c..adde85f4a 100644
--- a/man/man8/zdb.8
+++ b/man/man8/zdb.8
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 \fBzdb\fR - Display zpool debugging and consistency information
 
 .SH "SYNOPSIS"
-\fBzdb\fR [-CumdibcsDvhLXFPA] [-e [-p \fIpath\fR...]] [-t \fItxg\fR]
+\fBzdb\fR [-CumdibcsDvhLVXFPA] [-e [-p \fIpath\fR...]] [-t \fItxg\fR]
     [-U \fIcache\fR] [-M \fIinflight I/Os\fR] [\fIpoolname\fR
     [\fIobject\fR ...]]
 
@@ -429,6 +429,17 @@ Attempt \'extreme\' transaction rewind, that is attempt the same recovery as
 \fB-F\fR but read transactions otherwise deemed too old.
 .RE
 
+.sp
+.ne 2
+.na
+\fB-V\fR
+.ad
+.sp .6
+.RS 4n
+Attempt a verbatim import. This mimics the behavior of the kernel when loading
+a pool from a cachefile.
+.RE
+
 .P
 Specifying a display option more than once enables verbosity for only that
 option, with more occurrences enabling more verbosity.