diff --git a/cmd/zed/agents/zfs_agents.c b/cmd/zed/agents/zfs_agents.c
index c8774010d5..e148ae52db 100644
--- a/cmd/zed/agents/zfs_agents.c
+++ b/cmd/zed/agents/zfs_agents.c
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ zfs_agent_iter_pool(zpool_handle_t *zhp, void *arg)
 	}
 
 	zpool_close(zhp);
-	return (gsp->gs_vdev_guid != 0);
+	return (gsp->gs_devid != NULL && gsp->gs_vdev_guid != 0);
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/cmd/zed/agents/zfs_mod.c b/cmd/zed/agents/zfs_mod.c
index 1945c298e6..f67fd96af0 100644
--- a/cmd/zed/agents/zfs_mod.c
+++ b/cmd/zed/agents/zfs_mod.c
@@ -185,10 +185,12 @@ zfs_process_add(zpool_handle_t *zhp, nvlist_t *vdev, boolean_t labeled)
 	uint64_t wholedisk = 0ULL;
 	uint64_t offline = 0ULL, faulted = 0ULL;
 	uint64_t guid = 0ULL;
+	uint64_t is_spare = 0;
 	char *physpath = NULL, *new_devid = NULL, *enc_sysfs_path = NULL;
 	char rawpath[PATH_MAX], fullpath[PATH_MAX];
 	char devpath[PATH_MAX];
 	int ret;
+	int online_flag = ZFS_ONLINE_CHECKREMOVE | ZFS_ONLINE_UNSPARE;
 	boolean_t is_sd = B_FALSE;
 	boolean_t is_mpath_wholedisk = B_FALSE;
 	uint_t c;
@@ -214,6 +216,7 @@ zfs_process_add(zpool_handle_t *zhp, nvlist_t *vdev, boolean_t labeled)
 	(void) nvlist_lookup_uint64(vdev, ZPOOL_CONFIG_FAULTED, &faulted);
 
 	(void) nvlist_lookup_uint64(vdev, ZPOOL_CONFIG_GUID, &guid);
+	(void) nvlist_lookup_uint64(vdev, ZPOOL_CONFIG_IS_SPARE, &is_spare);
 
 	/*
 	 * Special case:
@@ -304,11 +307,13 @@ zfs_process_add(zpool_handle_t *zhp, nvlist_t *vdev, boolean_t labeled)
 		}
 	}
 
+	if (is_spare)
+		online_flag |= ZFS_ONLINE_SPARE;
+
 	/*
 	 * Attempt to online the device.
 	 */
-	if (zpool_vdev_online(zhp, fullpath,
-	    ZFS_ONLINE_CHECKREMOVE | ZFS_ONLINE_UNSPARE, &newstate) == 0 &&
+	if (zpool_vdev_online(zhp, fullpath, online_flag, &newstate) == 0 &&
 	    (newstate == VDEV_STATE_HEALTHY ||
 	    newstate == VDEV_STATE_DEGRADED)) {
 		zed_log_msg(LOG_INFO,
@@ -527,6 +532,7 @@ typedef struct dev_data {
 	uint64_t		dd_vdev_guid;
 	uint64_t		dd_new_vdev_guid;
 	const char		*dd_new_devid;
+	uint64_t		dd_num_spares;
 } dev_data_t;
 
 static void
@@ -537,6 +543,7 @@ zfs_iter_vdev(zpool_handle_t *zhp, nvlist_t *nvl, void *data)
 	uint_t c, children;
 	nvlist_t **child;
 	uint64_t guid = 0;
+	uint64_t isspare = 0;
 
 	/*
 	 * First iterate over any children.
@@ -562,7 +569,7 @@ zfs_iter_vdev(zpool_handle_t *zhp, nvlist_t *nvl, void *data)
 	}
 
 	/* once a vdev was matched and processed there is nothing left to do */
-	if (dp->dd_found)
+	if (dp->dd_found && dp->dd_num_spares == 0)
 		return;
 	(void) nvlist_lookup_uint64(nvl, ZPOOL_CONFIG_GUID, &guid);
 
@@ -612,6 +619,10 @@ zfs_iter_vdev(zpool_handle_t *zhp, nvlist_t *nvl, void *data)
 		}
 	}
 
+	if (dp->dd_found == B_TRUE && nvlist_lookup_uint64(nvl,
+	    ZPOOL_CONFIG_IS_SPARE, &isspare) == 0 && isspare)
+		dp->dd_num_spares++;
+
 	(dp->dd_func)(zhp, nvl, dp->dd_islabeled);
 }
 
@@ -672,7 +683,9 @@ zfs_iter_pool(zpool_handle_t *zhp, void *data)
 	}
 
 	zpool_close(zhp);
-	return (dp->dd_found);	/* cease iteration after a match */
+
+	/* cease iteration after a match */
+	return (dp->dd_found && dp->dd_num_spares == 0);
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/cmd/zed/agents/zfs_retire.c b/cmd/zed/agents/zfs_retire.c
index 3b71a63e0a..b4794e3119 100644
--- a/cmd/zed/agents/zfs_retire.c
+++ b/cmd/zed/agents/zfs_retire.c
@@ -75,6 +75,8 @@ typedef struct find_cbdata {
 	uint64_t	cb_guid;
 	zpool_handle_t	*cb_zhp;
 	nvlist_t	*cb_vdev;
+	uint64_t	cb_vdev_guid;
+	uint64_t	cb_num_spares;
 } find_cbdata_t;
 
 static int
@@ -140,6 +142,64 @@ find_vdev(libzfs_handle_t *zhdl, nvlist_t *nv, uint64_t search_guid)
 	return (NULL);
 }
 
+static int
+remove_spares(zpool_handle_t *zhp, void *data)
+{
+	nvlist_t *config, *nvroot;
+	nvlist_t **spares;
+	uint_t nspares;
+	char *devname;
+	find_cbdata_t *cbp = data;
+	uint64_t spareguid = 0;
+	vdev_stat_t *vs;
+	unsigned int c;
+
+	config = zpool_get_config(zhp, NULL);
+	if (nvlist_lookup_nvlist(config,
+	    ZPOOL_CONFIG_VDEV_TREE, &nvroot) != 0) {
+		zpool_close(zhp);
+		return (0);
+	}
+
+	if (nvlist_lookup_nvlist_array(nvroot, ZPOOL_CONFIG_SPARES,
+	    &spares, &nspares) != 0) {
+		zpool_close(zhp);
+		return (0);
+	}
+
+	for (int i = 0; i < nspares; i++) {
+		if (nvlist_lookup_uint64(spares[i], ZPOOL_CONFIG_GUID,
+		    &spareguid) == 0 && spareguid == cbp->cb_vdev_guid) {
+			devname = zpool_vdev_name(NULL, zhp, spares[i],
+			    B_FALSE);
+			nvlist_lookup_uint64_array(spares[i],
+			    ZPOOL_CONFIG_VDEV_STATS, (uint64_t **)&vs, &c);
+			if (vs->vs_state != VDEV_STATE_REMOVED &&
+			    zpool_vdev_remove_wanted(zhp, devname) == 0)
+				cbp->cb_num_spares++;
+			break;
+		}
+	}
+
+	zpool_close(zhp);
+	return (0);
+}
+
+/*
+ * Given a vdev guid, find and remove all spares associated with it.
+ */
+static int
+find_and_remove_spares(libzfs_handle_t *zhdl, uint64_t vdev_guid)
+{
+	find_cbdata_t cb;
+
+	cb.cb_num_spares = 0;
+	cb.cb_vdev_guid = vdev_guid;
+	zpool_iter(zhdl, remove_spares, &cb);
+
+	return (cb.cb_num_spares);
+}
+
 /*
  * Given a (pool, vdev) GUID pair, find the matching pool and vdev.
  */
@@ -315,6 +375,8 @@ zfs_retire_recv(fmd_hdl_t *hdl, fmd_event_t *ep, nvlist_t *nvl,
 	libzfs_handle_t *zhdl = zdp->zrd_hdl;
 	boolean_t fault_device, degrade_device;
 	boolean_t is_repair;
+	boolean_t l2arc = B_FALSE;
+	boolean_t spare = B_FALSE;
 	char *scheme;
 	nvlist_t *vdev = NULL;
 	char *uuid;
@@ -323,7 +385,6 @@ zfs_retire_recv(fmd_hdl_t *hdl, fmd_event_t *ep, nvlist_t *nvl,
 	boolean_t is_disk;
 	vdev_aux_t aux;
 	uint64_t state = 0;
-	int l2arc;
 	vdev_stat_t *vs;
 	unsigned int c;
 
@@ -342,10 +403,26 @@ zfs_retire_recv(fmd_hdl_t *hdl, fmd_event_t *ep, nvlist_t *nvl,
 		char *devtype;
 		char *devname;
 
+		if (nvlist_lookup_string(nvl, FM_EREPORT_PAYLOAD_ZFS_VDEV_TYPE,
+		    &devtype) == 0) {
+			if (strcmp(devtype, VDEV_TYPE_SPARE) == 0)
+				spare = B_TRUE;
+			else if (strcmp(devtype, VDEV_TYPE_L2CACHE) == 0)
+				l2arc = B_TRUE;
+		}
+
+		if (nvlist_lookup_uint64(nvl,
+		    FM_EREPORT_PAYLOAD_ZFS_VDEV_GUID, &vdev_guid) != 0)
+			return;
+
+		if (spare) {
+			int nspares = find_and_remove_spares(zhdl, vdev_guid);
+			fmd_hdl_debug(hdl, "%d spares removed", nspares);
+			return;
+		}
+
 		if (nvlist_lookup_uint64(nvl, FM_EREPORT_PAYLOAD_ZFS_POOL_GUID,
-		    &pool_guid) != 0 ||
-		    nvlist_lookup_uint64(nvl, FM_EREPORT_PAYLOAD_ZFS_VDEV_GUID,
-		    &vdev_guid) != 0)
+		    &pool_guid) != 0)
 			return;
 
 		if ((zhp = find_by_guid(zhdl, pool_guid, vdev_guid,
@@ -366,10 +443,6 @@ zfs_retire_recv(fmd_hdl_t *hdl, fmd_event_t *ep, nvlist_t *nvl,
 		    state == VDEV_STATE_REMOVED)
 			return;
 
-		l2arc = (nvlist_lookup_string(nvl,
-		    FM_EREPORT_PAYLOAD_ZFS_VDEV_TYPE, &devtype) == 0 &&
-		    strcmp(devtype, VDEV_TYPE_L2CACHE) == 0);
-
 		/* Remove the vdev since device is unplugged */
 		if (l2arc || (strcmp(class, "resource.fs.zfs.removed") == 0)) {
 			int status = zpool_vdev_remove_wanted(zhp, devname);
diff --git a/include/sys/fs/zfs.h b/include/sys/fs/zfs.h
index f4dc2ab465..111e70ece1 100644
--- a/include/sys/fs/zfs.h
+++ b/include/sys/fs/zfs.h
@@ -1518,6 +1518,7 @@ typedef enum {
 #define	ZFS_ONLINE_UNSPARE	0x2
 #define	ZFS_ONLINE_FORCEFAULT	0x4
 #define	ZFS_ONLINE_EXPAND	0x8
+#define	ZFS_ONLINE_SPARE	0x10
 #define	ZFS_OFFLINE_TEMPORARY	0x1
 
 /*
diff --git a/lib/libzfs/libzfs_pool.c b/lib/libzfs/libzfs_pool.c
index c8659c5fe2..29f077841d 100644
--- a/lib/libzfs/libzfs_pool.c
+++ b/lib/libzfs/libzfs_pool.c
@@ -3051,7 +3051,7 @@ zpool_vdev_online(zpool_handle_t *zhp, const char *path, int flags,
 
 	verify(nvlist_lookup_uint64(tgt, ZPOOL_CONFIG_GUID, &zc.zc_guid) == 0);
 
-	if (avail_spare)
+	if (!(flags & ZFS_ONLINE_SPARE) && avail_spare)
 		return (zfs_error(hdl, EZFS_ISSPARE, msg));
 
 	if ((flags & ZFS_ONLINE_EXPAND ||
@@ -3184,9 +3184,6 @@ zpool_vdev_remove_wanted(zpool_handle_t *zhp, const char *path)
 
 	zc.zc_guid = fnvlist_lookup_uint64(tgt, ZPOOL_CONFIG_GUID);
 
-	if (avail_spare)
-		return (zfs_error(hdl, EZFS_ISSPARE, errbuf));
-
 	zc.zc_cookie = VDEV_STATE_REMOVED;
 
 	if (zfs_ioctl(hdl, ZFS_IOC_VDEV_SET_STATE, &zc) == 0)
diff --git a/module/zfs/spa_config.c b/module/zfs/spa_config.c
index 432f8b8f36..c4282b0cf3 100644
--- a/module/zfs/spa_config.c
+++ b/module/zfs/spa_config.c
@@ -354,6 +354,8 @@ spa_write_cachefile(spa_t *target, boolean_t removing, boolean_t postsysevent,
 		vdev_post_kobj_evt(target->spa_root_vdev);
 		for (int i = 0; i < target->spa_l2cache.sav_count; i++)
 			vdev_post_kobj_evt(target->spa_l2cache.sav_vdevs[i]);
+		for (int i = 0; i < target->spa_spares.sav_count; i++)
+			vdev_post_kobj_evt(target->spa_spares.sav_vdevs[i]);
 	}
 }