diff --git a/lib/libzfs/libzfs_sendrecv.c b/lib/libzfs/libzfs_sendrecv.c
index a944cc164f..899cc84cf9 100644
--- a/lib/libzfs/libzfs_sendrecv.c
+++ b/lib/libzfs/libzfs_sendrecv.c
@@ -2144,6 +2144,23 @@ zfs_send(zfs_handle_t *zhp, const char *fromsnap, const char *tosnap,
 		return (zfs_error(zhp->zfs_hdl, EZFS_NOENT, errbuf));
 	}
 
+	if (fromsnap) {
+		char full_fromsnap_name[ZFS_MAX_DATASET_NAME_LEN];
+		if (snprintf(full_fromsnap_name, sizeof (full_fromsnap_name),
+		    "%s@%s", zhp->zfs_name, fromsnap) >=
+		    sizeof (full_fromsnap_name)) {
+			err = EINVAL;
+			goto stderr_out;
+		}
+		zfs_handle_t *fromsnapn = zfs_open(zhp->zfs_hdl,
+		    full_fromsnap_name, ZFS_TYPE_SNAPSHOT);
+		if (fromsnapn == NULL) {
+			err = -1;
+			goto err_out;
+		}
+		zfs_close(fromsnapn);
+	}
+
 	if (flags->replicate || flags->doall || flags->props ||
 	    flags->holds || flags->backup) {
 		char full_tosnap_name[ZFS_MAX_DATASET_NAME_LEN];