diff --git a/cmd/zfs/zfs_main.c b/cmd/zfs/zfs_main.c
index 5b469cfc7f..c361e18b9f 100644
--- a/cmd/zfs/zfs_main.c
+++ b/cmd/zfs/zfs_main.c
@@ -6661,6 +6661,8 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	(void) setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
 	(void) textdomain(TEXT_DOMAIN);
 
+	dprintf_setup(&argc, argv);
+
 	opterr = 0;
 
 	/*
diff --git a/cmd/zpool/zpool_main.c b/cmd/zpool/zpool_main.c
index 9e37eb228a..ca37374751 100644
--- a/cmd/zpool/zpool_main.c
+++ b/cmd/zpool/zpool_main.c
@@ -5879,6 +5879,8 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	(void) setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
 	(void) textdomain(TEXT_DOMAIN);
 
+	dprintf_setup(&argc, argv);
+
 	opterr = 0;
 
 	/*
diff --git a/lib/libzpool/kernel.c b/lib/libzpool/kernel.c
index 9136560df2..85fe24afde 100644
--- a/lib/libzpool/kernel.c
+++ b/lib/libzpool/kernel.c
@@ -837,6 +837,9 @@ dprintf_setup(int *argc, char **argv)
 	 */
 	if (dprintf_find_string("on"))
 		dprintf_print_all = 1;
+
+	if (dprintf_string != NULL)
+		zfs_flags |= ZFS_DEBUG_DPRINTF;
 }
 
 /*