diff --git a/cmd/zpool/zpool_main.c b/cmd/zpool/zpool_main.c
index e62441894..f7cd73085 100644
--- a/cmd/zpool/zpool_main.c
+++ b/cmd/zpool/zpool_main.c
@@ -11330,7 +11330,8 @@ upgrade_enable_all(zpool_handle_t *zhp, int *countp)
 		const char *fname = spa_feature_table[i].fi_uname;
 		const char *fguid = spa_feature_table[i].fi_guid;
 
-		if (!spa_feature_table[i].fi_zfs_mod_supported)
+		if (!spa_feature_table[i].fi_zfs_mod_supported ||
+		    (spa_feature_table[i].fi_flags & ZFEATURE_FLAG_NO_UPGRADE))
 			continue;
 
 		if (!nvlist_exists(enabled, fguid) && requested_features[i]) {
@@ -11485,7 +11486,11 @@ upgrade_list_disabled_cb(zpool_handle_t *zhp, void *arg)
 					    "Note that the pool "
 					    "'compatibility' feature can be "
 					    "used to inhibit\nfeature "
-					    "upgrades.\n\n"));
+					    "upgrades.\n\n"
+					    "Features marked with (*) are not "
+					    "applied automatically on upgrade, "
+					    "and\nmust be applied explicitly "
+					    "with zpool-set(7).\n\n"));
 					(void) printf(gettext("POOL  "
 					    "FEATURE\n"));
 					(void) printf(gettext("------"
@@ -11499,7 +11504,9 @@ upgrade_list_disabled_cb(zpool_handle_t *zhp, void *arg)
 					poolfirst = B_FALSE;
 				}
 
-				(void) printf(gettext("      %s\n"), fname);
+				(void) printf(gettext("      %s%s\n"), fname,
+				    spa_feature_table[i].fi_flags &
+				    ZFEATURE_FLAG_NO_UPGRADE ? "(*)" : "");
 			}
 			/*
 			 * If they did "zpool upgrade -a", then we could
diff --git a/include/zfeature_common.h b/include/zfeature_common.h
index 85537c1ae..5d37bb956 100644
--- a/include/zfeature_common.h
+++ b/include/zfeature_common.h
@@ -103,7 +103,15 @@ typedef enum zfeature_flags {
 	/* Activate this feature at the same time it is enabled. */
 	ZFEATURE_FLAG_ACTIVATE_ON_ENABLE =	(1 << 2),
 	/* Each dataset has a field set if it has ever used this feature. */
-	ZFEATURE_FLAG_PER_DATASET =		(1 << 3)
+	ZFEATURE_FLAG_PER_DATASET =		(1 << 3),
+	/*
+	 * This feature isn't enabled by zpool upgrade; it must be explicitly
+	 * listed to be enabled. It will also be applied if listed in an
+	 * explicitly provided compatibility list. This flag can be removed
+	 * from a given feature once support is sufficiently widespread, or
+	 * worries about backwards compatibility are no longer relevant.
+	 */
+	ZFEATURE_FLAG_NO_UPGRADE = 		(1 << 4)
 } zfeature_flags_t;
 
 typedef enum zfeature_type {
diff --git a/lib/libzfs/libzfs_pool.c b/lib/libzfs/libzfs_pool.c
index fb18c4309..dc2fb1a8c 100644
--- a/lib/libzfs/libzfs_pool.c
+++ b/lib/libzfs/libzfs_pool.c
@@ -5093,9 +5093,10 @@ zpool_load_compat(const char *compat, boolean_t *features, char *report,
 	/* special cases (unset), "" and "off" => enable all features */
 	if (compat == NULL || compat[0] == '\0' ||
 	    strcmp(compat, ZPOOL_COMPAT_OFF) == 0) {
-		if (features != NULL)
+		if (features != NULL) {
 			for (uint_t i = 0; i < SPA_FEATURES; i++)
 				features[i] = B_TRUE;
+		}
 		if (report != NULL)
 			strlcpy(report, gettext("all features enabled"), rlen);
 		return (ZPOOL_COMPATIBILITY_OK);
diff --git a/lib/libzfs/libzfs_status.c b/lib/libzfs/libzfs_status.c
index 1ee703968..bdddefb92 100644
--- a/lib/libzfs/libzfs_status.c
+++ b/lib/libzfs/libzfs_status.c
@@ -484,7 +484,8 @@ check_status(nvlist_t *config, boolean_t isimport,
 		}
 		for (i = 0; i < SPA_FEATURES; i++) {
 			zfeature_info_t *fi = &spa_feature_table[i];
-			if (!fi->fi_zfs_mod_supported)
+			if (!fi->fi_zfs_mod_supported ||
+			    (fi->fi_flags & ZFEATURE_FLAG_NO_UPGRADE))
 				continue;
 			if (c_features[i] && !nvlist_exists(feat, fi->fi_guid))
 				return (ZPOOL_STATUS_FEAT_DISABLED);