diff --git a/lib/libzfs/libzfs_pool.c b/lib/libzfs/libzfs_pool.c
index a221f9fc7f..ccaa86beaf 100644
--- a/lib/libzfs/libzfs_pool.c
+++ b/lib/libzfs/libzfs_pool.c
@@ -1409,13 +1409,6 @@ zpool_add(zpool_handle_t *zhp, nvlist_t *nvroot)
 			(void) zfs_error(hdl, EZFS_BADVERSION, msg);
 			break;
 
-		case EDOM:
-			zfs_error_aux(hdl, dgettext(TEXT_DOMAIN,
-			    "root pool can not have multiple vdevs"
-			    " or separate logs"));
-			(void) zfs_error(hdl, EZFS_POOL_NOTSUP, msg);
-			break;
-
 		case ENOTBLK:
 			zfs_error_aux(hdl, dgettext(TEXT_DOMAIN,
 			    "cache device must be a disk or disk slice"));
diff --git a/module/zfs/zfs_ioctl.c b/module/zfs/zfs_ioctl.c
index f541181e68..52b072a235 100644
--- a/module/zfs/zfs_ioctl.c
+++ b/module/zfs/zfs_ioctl.c
@@ -1751,8 +1751,7 @@ zfs_ioc_vdev_add(zfs_cmd_t *zc)
 {
 	spa_t *spa;
 	int error;
-	nvlist_t *config, **l2cache, **spares;
-	uint_t nl2cache = 0, nspares = 0;
+	nvlist_t *config;
 
 	error = spa_open(zc->zc_name, &spa, FTAG);
 	if (error != 0)
@@ -1760,28 +1759,6 @@ zfs_ioc_vdev_add(zfs_cmd_t *zc)
 
 	error = get_nvlist(zc->zc_nvlist_conf, zc->zc_nvlist_conf_size,
 	    zc->zc_iflags, &config);
-	(void) nvlist_lookup_nvlist_array(config, ZPOOL_CONFIG_L2CACHE,
-	    &l2cache, &nl2cache);
-
-	(void) nvlist_lookup_nvlist_array(config, ZPOOL_CONFIG_SPARES,
-	    &spares, &nspares);
-
-	/*
-	 * A root pool with concatenated devices is not supported.
-	 * Thus, can not add a device to a root pool.
-	 *
-	 * Intent log device can not be added to a rootpool because
-	 * during mountroot, zil is replayed, a seperated log device
-	 * can not be accessed during the mountroot time.
-	 *
-	 * l2cache and spare devices are ok to be added to a rootpool.
-	 */
-	if (spa_bootfs(spa) != 0 && nl2cache == 0 && nspares == 0) {
-		nvlist_free(config);
-		spa_close(spa, FTAG);
-		return (SET_ERROR(EDOM));
-	}
-
 	if (error == 0) {
 		error = spa_vdev_add(spa, config);
 		nvlist_free(config);