diff --git a/module/zfs/spa.c b/module/zfs/spa.c
index fcb1711a2..2bd011a0c 100644
--- a/module/zfs/spa.c
+++ b/module/zfs/spa.c
@@ -6144,7 +6144,7 @@ spa_sync(spa_t *spa, uint64_t txg)
 	spa->spa_sync_starttime = gethrtime();
 	taskq_cancel_id(system_taskq, spa->spa_deadman_tqid);
 	spa->spa_deadman_tqid = taskq_dispatch_delay(system_taskq,
-	    spa_deadman, spa, TQ_SLEEP, ddi_get_lbolt() +
+	    spa_deadman, spa, TQ_PUSHPAGE, ddi_get_lbolt() +
 	    NSEC_TO_TICK(spa->spa_deadman_synctime));
 
 	/*
diff --git a/module/zfs/spa_misc.c b/module/zfs/spa_misc.c
index a5e13b5fb..9ba6e8963 100644
--- a/module/zfs/spa_misc.c
+++ b/module/zfs/spa_misc.c
@@ -444,7 +444,7 @@ spa_deadman(void *arg)
 		vdev_deadman(spa->spa_root_vdev);
 
 	spa->spa_deadman_tqid = taskq_dispatch_delay(system_taskq,
-	    spa_deadman, spa, TQ_SLEEP, ddi_get_lbolt() +
+	    spa_deadman, spa, TQ_PUSHPAGE, ddi_get_lbolt() +
 	    NSEC_TO_TICK(spa->spa_deadman_synctime));
 }