diff --git a/include/os/linux/spl/sys/kmem_cache.h b/include/os/linux/spl/sys/kmem_cache.h
index b159bb52d1..905ff57a14 100644
--- a/include/os/linux/spl/sys/kmem_cache.h
+++ b/include/os/linux/spl/sys/kmem_cache.h
@@ -192,22 +192,25 @@ extern void spl_kmem_reap(void);
 extern uint64_t spl_kmem_cache_inuse(kmem_cache_t *cache);
 extern uint64_t spl_kmem_cache_entry_size(kmem_cache_t *cache);
 
+#ifndef	SPL_KMEM_CACHE_IMPLEMENTING
+/*
+ * Macros for the kmem_cache_* API expected by ZFS and SPL clients. We don't
+ * define them inside spl-kmem-cache.c, as that uses the kernel's incompatible
+ * kmem_cache_* facilities to implement ours.
+ */
+
+/* Avoid conflicts with kernel names that might be implemented as macros. */
+#undef	kmem_cache_alloc
+
 #define	kmem_cache_create(name, size, align, ctor, dtor, rclm, priv, vmp, fl) \
     spl_kmem_cache_create(name, size, align, ctor, dtor, rclm, priv, vmp, fl)
 #define	kmem_cache_set_move(skc, move)	spl_kmem_cache_set_move(skc, move)
 #define	kmem_cache_destroy(skc)		spl_kmem_cache_destroy(skc)
-/*
- * This is necessary to be compatible with other kernel modules
- * or in-tree filesystem that may define kmem_cache_alloc,
- * like bcachefs does it now.
- */
-#ifdef kmem_cache_alloc
-#undef kmem_cache_alloc
-#endif
 #define	kmem_cache_alloc(skc, flags)	spl_kmem_cache_alloc(skc, flags)
 #define	kmem_cache_free(skc, obj)	spl_kmem_cache_free(skc, obj)
 #define	kmem_cache_reap_now(skc)	spl_kmem_cache_reap_now(skc)
 #define	kmem_reap()			spl_kmem_reap()
+#endif
 
 /*
  * The following functions are only available for internal use.
diff --git a/module/os/linux/spl/spl-kmem-cache.c b/module/os/linux/spl/spl-kmem-cache.c
index 42821ad602..737c2e063f 100644
--- a/module/os/linux/spl/spl-kmem-cache.c
+++ b/module/os/linux/spl/spl-kmem-cache.c
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
  *  with the SPL.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
  */
 
+#define	SPL_KMEM_CACHE_IMPLEMENTING
+
 #include <linux/percpu_compat.h>
 #include <sys/kmem.h>
 #include <sys/kmem_cache.h>
@@ -33,16 +35,6 @@
 #include <linux/swap.h>
 #include <linux/prefetch.h>
 
-/*
- * Within the scope of spl-kmem.c file the kmem_cache_* definitions
- * are removed to allow access to the real Linux slab allocator.
- */
-#undef kmem_cache_destroy
-#undef kmem_cache_create
-#undef kmem_cache_alloc
-#undef kmem_cache_free
-
-
 /*
  * Linux 3.16 replaced smp_mb__{before,after}_{atomic,clear}_{dec,inc,bit}()
  * with smp_mb__{before,after}_atomic() because they were redundant. This is