diff --git a/config/kernel-fmode-t.m4 b/config/kernel-fmode-t.m4
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cf25d81272
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/kernel-fmode-t.m4
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+dnl #
+dnl # 2.6.28 API change,
+dnl # check if fmode_t typedef is defined
+dnl #
+AC_DEFUN([ZFS_AC_KERNEL_TYPE_FMODE_T],
+	[AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether kernel defines fmode_t])
+	ZFS_LINUX_TRY_COMPILE([
+		#include <linux/types.h>
+	],[
+		fmode_t *ptr;
+	],[
+		AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
+		AC_DEFINE(HAVE_FMODE_T, 1,
+		          [kernel defines fmode_t])
+	],[
+		AC_MSG_RESULT([no])
+	])
+])
diff --git a/config/kernel.m4 b/config/kernel.m4
index 801be86b62..34e0b47980 100644
--- a/config/kernel.m4
+++ b/config/kernel.m4
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ AC_DEFUN([ZFS_AC_CONFIG_KERNEL], [
 	ZFS_AC_KERNEL
 	ZFS_AC_SPL
 	ZFS_AC_KERNEL_BDEV_BLOCK_DEVICE_OPERATIONS
+	ZFS_AC_KERNEL_TYPE_FMODE_T
 	ZFS_AC_KERNEL_OPEN_BDEV_EXCLUSIVE
 	ZFS_AC_KERNEL_INVALIDATE_BDEV_ARGS
 	ZFS_AC_KERNEL_BDEV_LOGICAL_BLOCK_SIZE
diff --git a/module/zfs/include/sys/blkdev.h b/module/zfs/include/sys/blkdev.h
index 19ded8b6ba..9ad184b3ea 100644
--- a/module/zfs/include/sys/blkdev.h
+++ b/module/zfs/include/sys/blkdev.h
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@
 #include <linux/elevator.h>
 #include "zfs_config.h"
 
+#ifndef HAVE_FMODE_T
+typedef unsigned __bitwise__ fmode_t;
+#endif /* HAVE_FMODE_T */
+
 #ifndef HAVE_BLK_FETCH_REQUEST
 static inline struct request *
 blk_fetch_request(struct request_queue *q)
diff --git a/module/zfs/zvol.c b/module/zfs/zvol.c
index af64f59349..2db17aed26 100644
--- a/module/zfs/zvol.c
+++ b/module/zfs/zvol.c
@@ -681,10 +681,6 @@ zvol_remove(zvol_state_t *zv_remove)
 	list_remove(&zvol_state_list, zv_remove);
 }
 
-#ifndef HAVE_BDEV_BLOCK_DEVICE_OPERATIONS
-typedef unsigned __bitwise__ fmode_t;
-#endif /* HAVE_BDEV_BLOCK_DEVICE_OPERATIONS */
-
 static int
 zvol_open(struct block_device *bdev, fmode_t flag)
 {