Index: head/sys/cddl/contrib/opensolaris/uts/common/fs/zfs/spa.c
===================================================================
--- head/sys/cddl/contrib/opensolaris/uts/common/fs/zfs/spa.c
+++ head/sys/cddl/contrib/opensolaris/uts/common/fs/zfs/spa.c
@@ -174,10 +174,6 @@
 boolean_t	spa_create_process = B_TRUE;	/* no process ==> no sysdc */
 extern int	zfs_sync_pass_deferred_free;
 
-#ifndef illumos
-extern void spa_deadman(void *arg);
-#endif
-
 /*
  * This (illegal) pool name is used when temporarily importing a spa_t in order
  * to get the vdev stats associated with the imported devices.
@@ -6883,8 +6879,8 @@
 	    spa->spa_sync_starttime + spa->spa_deadman_synctime));
 #else	/* !illumos */
 #ifdef _KERNEL
-	callout_reset(&spa->spa_deadman_cycid,
-	    hz * spa->spa_deadman_synctime / NANOSEC, spa_deadman, spa);
+	callout_schedule(&spa->spa_deadman_cycid,
+	    hz * spa->spa_deadman_synctime / NANOSEC);
 #endif
 #endif	/* illumos */
 
Index: head/sys/cddl/contrib/opensolaris/uts/common/fs/zfs/spa_misc.c
===================================================================
--- head/sys/cddl/contrib/opensolaris/uts/common/fs/zfs/spa_misc.c
+++ head/sys/cddl/contrib/opensolaris/uts/common/fs/zfs/spa_misc.c
@@ -597,8 +597,8 @@
  * If the zfs_deadman_enabled flag is set then it inspects all vdev queues
  * looking for potentially hung I/Os.
  */
-void
-spa_deadman(void *arg)
+static void
+spa_deadman(void *arg, int pending)
 {
 	spa_t *spa = arg;
 
@@ -627,6 +627,16 @@
 #endif
 }
 
+#if defined(__FreeBSD__) && defined(_KERNEL)
+static void
+spa_deadman_timeout(void *arg)
+{
+	spa_t *spa = arg;
+
+	taskqueue_enqueue(taskqueue_thread, &spa->spa_deadman_task);
+}
+#endif
+
 /*
  * Create an uninitialized spa_t with the given name.  Requires
  * spa_namespace_lock.  The caller must ensure that the spa_t doesn't already
@@ -698,7 +708,23 @@
 	mutex_exit(&cpu_lock);
 #else	/* !illumos */
 #ifdef _KERNEL
+	/*
+	 * callout(9) does not provide a way to initialize a callout with
+	 * a function and an argument, so we use callout_reset() to schedule
+	 * the callout in the very distant future.  Even if that event ever
+	 * fires, it should be okayas we won't have any active zio-s.
+	 * But normally spa_sync() will reschedule the callout with a proper
+	 * timeout.
+	 * callout(9) does not allow the callback function to sleep but
+	 * vdev_deadman() needs to acquire vq_lock and illumos mutexes are
+	 * emulated using sx(9).  For this reason spa_deadman_timeout()
+	 * will schedule spa_deadman() as task on a taskqueue that allows
+	 * sleeping.
+	 */
+	TASK_INIT(&spa->spa_deadman_task, 0, spa_deadman, spa);
 	callout_init(&spa->spa_deadman_cycid, 1);
+	callout_reset_sbt(&spa->spa_deadman_cycid, SBT_MAX, 0,
+	    spa_deadman_timeout, spa, 0);
 #endif
 #endif
 	refcount_create(&spa->spa_refcount);
@@ -811,6 +837,7 @@
 #else	/* !illumos */
 #ifdef _KERNEL
 	callout_drain(&spa->spa_deadman_cycid);
+	taskqueue_drain(taskqueue_thread, &spa->spa_deadman_task);
 #endif
 #endif
 
Index: head/sys/cddl/contrib/opensolaris/uts/common/fs/zfs/sys/spa_impl.h
===================================================================
--- head/sys/cddl/contrib/opensolaris/uts/common/fs/zfs/sys/spa_impl.h
+++ head/sys/cddl/contrib/opensolaris/uts/common/fs/zfs/sys/spa_impl.h
@@ -267,6 +267,7 @@
 #else	/* !illumos */
 #ifdef _KERNEL
 	struct callout	spa_deadman_cycid;	/* callout id */
+	struct task	spa_deadman_task;
 #endif
 #endif	/* illumos */
 	uint64_t	spa_deadman_calls;	/* number of deadman calls */