diff --git a/config/kernel-misc-minor.m4 b/config/kernel-misc-minor.m4
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3917e28ff6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/kernel-misc-minor.m4
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+dnl #
+dnl # Determine an available miscellaneous minor number which can be used
+dnl # for the /dev/zfs device.  This is needed because kernel module
+dnl # auto-loading depends on registering a reserved non-conflicting minor
+dnl # number.  Start with a large known available unreserved minor and work
+dnl # our way down to lower value if a collision is detected.
+dnl #
+AC_DEFUN([ZFS_AC_KERNEL_MISC_MINOR], [
+	AC_MSG_CHECKING([for available /dev/zfs minor])
+
+	for i in $(seq 249 -1 200); do
+		if ! grep -q "^#define\s\+.*_MINOR\s\+.*$i" \
+		    ${LINUX}/include/linux/miscdevice.h; then
+			ZFS_MINOR="$i"
+			AC_MSG_RESULT($ZFS_MINOR)
+			AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([ZFS_MINOR], [$ZFS_MINOR],
+			    [/dev/zfs minor])
+			break
+		fi
+	done
+
+	AS_IF([ test -z "$ZFS_MINOR"], [
+		AC_MSG_ERROR([
+	*** No available misc minor numbers available for use.])
+	])
+])
diff --git a/config/kernel.m4 b/config/kernel.m4
index b80e57b1c0..1887b178c0 100644
--- a/config/kernel.m4
+++ b/config/kernel.m4
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ AC_DEFUN([ZFS_AC_CONFIG_KERNEL], [
 	ZFS_AC_SPL
 	ZFS_AC_QAT
 	ZFS_AC_TEST_MODULE
+	ZFS_AC_KERNEL_MISC_MINOR
 	ZFS_AC_KERNEL_OBJTOOL
 	ZFS_AC_KERNEL_CONFIG
 	ZFS_AC_KERNEL_DECLARE_EVENT_CLASS
diff --git a/etc/modules-load.d/zfs.conf.in b/etc/modules-load.d/zfs.conf.in
index 8b41baa300..44e1bb3ed9 100644
--- a/etc/modules-load.d/zfs.conf.in
+++ b/etc/modules-load.d/zfs.conf.in
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-# Always load kernel modules at boot.  The default behavior is to load the
-# kernel modules in the zfs-import-*.service or when blkid(8) detects a pool.
+# The default behavior is to allow udev to load the kernel modules on demand.
+# Uncomment the following line to unconditionally load them at boot.
 #zfs
diff --git a/etc/systemd/system/zfs-import-cache.service.in b/etc/systemd/system/zfs-import-cache.service.in
index 23c725d713..44c26802b1 100644
--- a/etc/systemd/system/zfs-import-cache.service.in
+++ b/etc/systemd/system/zfs-import-cache.service.in
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ ConditionPathExists=@sysconfdir@/zfs/zpool.cache
 [Service]
 Type=oneshot
 RemainAfterExit=yes
-ExecStartPre=-/sbin/modprobe zfs
 ExecStart=@sbindir@/zpool import -c @sysconfdir@/zfs/zpool.cache -aN
 ExecStartPost=/bin/bash -c "/bin/systemctl set-environment BOOTFS=$(@sbindir@/zpool list -H -o bootfs | /bin/awk '$1 != \"-\" {print; exit}')"
 
diff --git a/etc/systemd/system/zfs-import-scan.service.in b/etc/systemd/system/zfs-import-scan.service.in
index 851d96cbc9..44a50a76b6 100644
--- a/etc/systemd/system/zfs-import-scan.service.in
+++ b/etc/systemd/system/zfs-import-scan.service.in
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ ConditionPathExists=!@sysconfdir@/zfs/zpool.cache
 [Service]
 Type=oneshot
 RemainAfterExit=yes
-ExecStartPre=-/sbin/modprobe zfs
 ExecStart=@sbindir@/zpool import -aN -o cachefile=none
 ExecStartPost=/bin/bash -c "/bin/systemctl set-environment BOOTFS=$(@sbindir@/zpool list -H -o bootfs | /bin/awk '$1 != \"-\" {print; exit}')"
 
diff --git a/etc/systemd/system/zfs-zed.service.in b/etc/systemd/system/zfs-zed.service.in
index 3175150030..f4313625ee 100644
--- a/etc/systemd/system/zfs-zed.service.in
+++ b/etc/systemd/system/zfs-zed.service.in
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 [Unit]
 Description=ZFS Event Daemon (zed)
 Documentation=man:zed(8)
-After=zfs-import.target
 
 [Service]
 ExecStart=@sbindir@/zed -F
diff --git a/lib/libzfs/libzfs_util.c b/lib/libzfs/libzfs_util.c
index ee8d09b118..6b9cfc2720 100644
--- a/lib/libzfs/libzfs_util.c
+++ b/lib/libzfs/libzfs_util.c
@@ -965,13 +965,14 @@ libzfs_load_module(const char *module)
 				load = 0;
 		}
 
-		if (load && libzfs_run_process("/sbin/modprobe", argv, 0))
-			return (ENOEXEC);
-	}
+		if (load) {
+			if (libzfs_run_process("/sbin/modprobe", argv, 0))
+				return (ENOEXEC);
 
-	/* Module loading is synchronous it must be available */
-	if (!libzfs_module_loaded(module))
-		return (ENXIO);
+			if (!libzfs_module_loaded(module))
+				return (ENXIO);
+		}
+	}
 
 	/*
 	 * Device creation by udev is asynchronous and waiting may be
diff --git a/module/zfs/zfs_ioctl.c b/module/zfs/zfs_ioctl.c
index 994b3af36c..92bdec4b96 100644
--- a/module/zfs/zfs_ioctl.c
+++ b/module/zfs/zfs_ioctl.c
@@ -6947,11 +6947,14 @@ static const struct file_operations zfsdev_fops = {
 };
 
 static struct miscdevice zfs_misc = {
-	.minor		= MISC_DYNAMIC_MINOR,
+	.minor		= ZFS_MINOR,
 	.name		= ZFS_DRIVER,
 	.fops		= &zfsdev_fops,
 };
 
+MODULE_ALIAS_MISCDEV(ZFS_MINOR);
+MODULE_ALIAS("devname:zfs");
+
 static int
 zfs_attach(void)
 {
@@ -6962,12 +6965,24 @@ zfs_attach(void)
 	zfsdev_state_list->zs_minor = -1;
 
 	error = misc_register(&zfs_misc);
-	if (error != 0) {
-		printk(KERN_INFO "ZFS: misc_register() failed %d\n", error);
-		return (error);
+	if (error == -EBUSY) {
+		/*
+		 * Fallback to dynamic minor allocation in the event of a
+		 * collision with a reserved minor in linux/miscdevice.h.
+		 * In this case the kernel modules must be manually loaded.
+		 */
+		printk(KERN_INFO "ZFS: misc_register() with static minor %d "
+		    "failed %d, retrying with MISC_DYNAMIC_MINOR\n",
+		    ZFS_MINOR, error);
+
+		zfs_misc.minor = MISC_DYNAMIC_MINOR;
+		error = misc_register(&zfs_misc);
 	}
 
-	return (0);
+	if (error)
+		printk(KERN_INFO "ZFS: misc_register() failed %d\n", error);
+
+	return (error);
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/rpm/generic/zfs.spec.in b/rpm/generic/zfs.spec.in
index 27a2424df8..52dc80a4ef 100644
--- a/rpm/generic/zfs.spec.in
+++ b/rpm/generic/zfs.spec.in
@@ -284,6 +284,15 @@ fi
 %endif
 exit 0
 
+# On RHEL/CentOS 7 the static nodes aren't refreshed by default after
+# installing a package.  This is the default behavior for Fedora.
+%posttrans
+%if 0%{?rhel} == 7 || 0%{?centos} == 7
+systemctl restart kmod-static-nodes
+systemctl restart systemd-tmpfiles-setup-dev
+udevadm trigger
+%endif
+
 %preun
 %if 0%{?_systemd}
 %if 0%{?systemd_preun:1}
diff --git a/udev/rules.d/90-zfs.rules.in b/udev/rules.d/90-zfs.rules.in
index 855c154040..82f8cf1cf5 100644
--- a/udev/rules.d/90-zfs.rules.in
+++ b/udev/rules.d/90-zfs.rules.in
@@ -7,6 +7,6 @@ ENV{ID_FS_TYPE}=="zfs_member", RUN+="/sbin/modprobe zfs"
 KERNEL=="null", SYMLINK+="root"
 SYMLINK=="null", SYMLINK+="root"
 
-SUBSYSTEM=="misc", KERNEL=="zfs", MODE="0666"
+KERNEL=="zfs", MODE="0666", OPTIONS+="static_node=zfs"
 
 LABEL="zfs_end"