diff --git a/module/zfs/spa.c b/module/zfs/spa.c
index 771f4c8d18..a7a2f62817 100644
--- a/module/zfs/spa.c
+++ b/module/zfs/spa.c
@@ -2341,7 +2341,8 @@ vdev_count_verify_zaps(vdev_t *vd)
  * Determine whether the activity check is required.
  */
 static boolean_t
-spa_activity_check_required(spa_t *spa, uberblock_t *ub, nvlist_t *config)
+spa_activity_check_required(spa_t *spa, uberblock_t *ub, nvlist_t *label,
+    nvlist_t *config)
 {
 	uint64_t state = 0;
 	uint64_t hostid = 0;
@@ -2358,7 +2359,6 @@ spa_activity_check_required(spa_t *spa, uberblock_t *ub, nvlist_t *config)
 	}
 
 	(void) nvlist_lookup_uint64(config, ZPOOL_CONFIG_POOL_STATE, &state);
-	(void) nvlist_lookup_uint64(config, ZPOOL_CONFIG_HOSTID, &hostid);
 
 	/*
 	 * Disable the MMP activity check - This is used by zdb which
@@ -2384,8 +2384,12 @@ spa_activity_check_required(spa_t *spa, uberblock_t *ub, nvlist_t *config)
 
 	/*
 	 * Allow the activity check to be skipped when importing the pool
-	 * on the same host which last imported it.
+	 * on the same host which last imported it.  Since the hostid from
+	 * configuration may be stale use the one read from the label.
 	 */
+	if (nvlist_exists(label, ZPOOL_CONFIG_HOSTID))
+		hostid = fnvlist_lookup_uint64(label, ZPOOL_CONFIG_HOSTID);
+
 	if (hostid == spa_get_hostid())
 		return (B_FALSE);
 
@@ -2651,7 +2655,7 @@ spa_load_impl(spa_t *spa, uint64_t pool_guid, nvlist_t *config,
 	 * pool is truly inactive and can be safely imported.  Prevent
 	 * hosts which don't have a hostid set from importing the pool.
 	 */
-	activity_check = spa_activity_check_required(spa, ub, config);
+	activity_check = spa_activity_check_required(spa, ub, label, config);
 	if (activity_check) {
 		if (ub->ub_mmp_magic == MMP_MAGIC && ub->ub_mmp_delay &&
 		    spa_get_hostid() == 0) {
diff --git a/tests/zfs-tests/tests/functional/mmp/mmp.cfg b/tests/zfs-tests/tests/functional/mmp/mmp.cfg
index 29e030a430..36f9954435 100644
--- a/tests/zfs-tests/tests/functional/mmp/mmp.cfg
+++ b/tests/zfs-tests/tests/functional/mmp/mmp.cfg
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ export TXG_TIMEOUT_DEFAULT=5
 
 export MMP_POOL=mmppool
 export MMP_DIR=$TEST_BASE_DIR/mmp
+export MMP_CACHE=$MMP_DIR/zpool.cache
+export MMP_ZTEST_LOG=$MMP_DIR/ztest.log
 export MMP_HISTORY=100
 export MMP_HISTORY_OFF=0
 
diff --git a/tests/zfs-tests/tests/functional/mmp/mmp.kshlib b/tests/zfs-tests/tests/functional/mmp/mmp.kshlib
index 43e4f37119..4c46ae7a2a 100644
--- a/tests/zfs-tests/tests/functional/mmp/mmp.kshlib
+++ b/tests/zfs-tests/tests/functional/mmp/mmp.kshlib
@@ -97,21 +97,24 @@ function mmp_pool_create # pool dir
 {
 	typeset pool=${1:-$MMP_POOL}
 	typeset dir=${2:-$MMP_DIR}
-	typeset opts="-T120 -M -k0 -f $dir -E -p $pool"
+	typeset opts="-VVVVV -T120 -M -k0 -f $dir -E -p $pool"
 
 	log_must mkdir -p $dir
+	log_must rm -f $dir/*
 	log_must truncate -s $MINVDEVSIZE $dir/vdev1 $dir/vdev2
 
 	log_must mmp_clear_hostid
 	log_must mmp_set_hostid $HOSTID1
-	log_must zpool create -f $pool mirror $dir/vdev1 $dir/vdev2
+	log_must zpool create -f -o cachefile=$MMP_CACHE $pool \
+	    mirror $dir/vdev1 $dir/vdev2
 	log_must zpool set multihost=on $pool
+	log_must mv $MMP_CACHE ${MMP_CACHE}.stale
 	log_must zpool export $pool
 	log_must mmp_clear_hostid
 	log_must mmp_set_hostid $HOSTID2
 
 	log_note "Starting ztest in the background as hostid $HOSTID1"
-	log_must eval "ZFS_HOSTID=$HOSTID1 ztest $opts >/dev/null 2>&1 &"
+	log_must eval "ZFS_HOSTID=$HOSTID1 ztest $opts >$MMP_ZTEST_LOG 2>&1 &"
 
 	while ! is_pool_imported "$pool" "-d $dir"; do
 		log_must pgrep ztest
@@ -134,7 +137,7 @@ function mmp_pool_destroy # pool dir
 		destroy_pool $pool
         fi
 
-	rm -Rf $dir
+	log_must rm -f $dir/*
 	mmp_clear_hostid
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/zfs-tests/tests/functional/mmp/mmp_active_import.ksh b/tests/zfs-tests/tests/functional/mmp/mmp_active_import.ksh
index 0a487d5b14..035264fe0f 100755
--- a/tests/zfs-tests/tests/functional/mmp/mmp_active_import.ksh
+++ b/tests/zfs-tests/tests/functional/mmp/mmp_active_import.ksh
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ verify_runnable "both"
 
 function cleanup
 {
-	mmp_pool_destroy $MMP_DIR $MMP_POOL
+	mmp_pool_destroy $MMP_POOL $MMP_DIR
 	log_must set_tunable64 zfs_multihost_interval $MMP_INTERVAL_DEFAULT
 	log_must mmp_clear_hostid
 }
@@ -60,11 +60,19 @@ log_must is_pool_imported $MMP_POOL "-d $MMP_DIR"
 
 # 3. Verify 'zpool import [-f] $MMP_POOL' cannot import the pool.
 MMP_IMPORTED_MSG="Cannot import '$MMP_POOL': pool is imported"
+
 log_must try_pool_import $MMP_POOL "-d $MMP_DIR" "$MMP_IMPORTED_MSG"
 for i in {1..10}; do
 	log_must try_pool_import $MMP_POOL "-f -d $MMP_DIR" "$MMP_IMPORTED_MSG"
 done
 
+log_must try_pool_import $MMP_POOL "-c ${MMP_CACHE}.stale" "$MMP_IMPORTED_MSG"
+
+for i in {1..10}; do
+	log_must try_pool_import $MMP_POOL "-f -c ${MMP_CACHE}.stale" \
+	    "$MMP_IMPORTED_MSG"
+done
+
 # 4. Kill ztest to make pool eligible for import.  Poll with 'zpool status'.
 ZTESTPID=$(pgrep ztest)
 if [ -n "$ZTESTPID" ]; then