diff --git a/include/sys/nvpair.h b/include/sys/nvpair.h
index 2dbd9e3eaf..0ac862e4be 100644
--- a/include/sys/nvpair.h
+++ b/include/sys/nvpair.h
@@ -312,7 +312,9 @@ _SYS_NVPAIR_H int nvpair_value_double(const nvpair_t *, double *);
 _SYS_NVPAIR_H nvlist_t *fnvlist_alloc(void);
 _SYS_NVPAIR_H void fnvlist_free(nvlist_t *);
 _SYS_NVPAIR_H size_t fnvlist_size(nvlist_t *);
+_SYS_NVPAIR_H size_t fnvlist_size_xdr(nvlist_t *);
 _SYS_NVPAIR_H char *fnvlist_pack(nvlist_t *, size_t *);
+_SYS_NVPAIR_H char *fnvlist_pack_xdr(nvlist_t *, size_t *);
 _SYS_NVPAIR_H void fnvlist_pack_free(char *, size_t);
 _SYS_NVPAIR_H nvlist_t *fnvlist_unpack(char *, size_t);
 _SYS_NVPAIR_H nvlist_t *fnvlist_dup(const nvlist_t *);
diff --git a/lib/libzfs/libzfs_dataset.c b/lib/libzfs/libzfs_dataset.c
index 231bbbd92d..8e221100f2 100644
--- a/lib/libzfs/libzfs_dataset.c
+++ b/lib/libzfs/libzfs_dataset.c
@@ -5287,12 +5287,12 @@ zfs_set_fsacl(zfs_handle_t *zhp, boolean_t un, nvlist_t *nvl)
 	assert(zhp->zfs_type == ZFS_TYPE_VOLUME ||
 	    zhp->zfs_type == ZFS_TYPE_FILESYSTEM);
 
-	err = nvlist_size(nvl, &nvsz, NV_ENCODE_NATIVE);
+	err = nvlist_size(nvl, &nvsz, NV_ENCODE_XDR);
 	assert(err == 0);
 
 	nvbuf = malloc(nvsz);
 
-	err = nvlist_pack(nvl, &nvbuf, &nvsz, NV_ENCODE_NATIVE, 0);
+	err = nvlist_pack(nvl, &nvbuf, &nvsz, NV_ENCODE_XDR, 0);
 	assert(err == 0);
 
 	zc.zc_nvlist_src_size = nvsz;
diff --git a/lib/libzfs/libzfs_util.c b/lib/libzfs/libzfs_util.c
index cba071a1a9..37594eb7a4 100644
--- a/lib/libzfs/libzfs_util.c
+++ b/lib/libzfs/libzfs_util.c
@@ -1225,11 +1225,12 @@ zcmd_write_nvlist_com(libzfs_handle_t *hdl, uint64_t *outnv, uint64_t *outlen,
     nvlist_t *nvl)
 {
 	char *packed;
+	size_t len;
 
-	size_t len = fnvlist_size(nvl);
+	verify(nvlist_size(nvl, &len, NV_ENCODE_XDR) == 0);
 	packed = zfs_alloc(hdl, len);
 
-	verify(nvlist_pack(nvl, &packed, &len, NV_ENCODE_NATIVE, 0) == 0);
+	verify(nvlist_pack(nvl, &packed, &len, NV_ENCODE_XDR, 0) == 0);
 
 	*outnv = (uint64_t)(uintptr_t)packed;
 	*outlen = len;
diff --git a/module/nvpair/fnvpair.c b/module/nvpair/fnvpair.c
index cc2233c403..20104e23ce 100644
--- a/module/nvpair/fnvpair.c
+++ b/module/nvpair/fnvpair.c
@@ -69,6 +69,14 @@ fnvlist_size(nvlist_t *nvl)
 	return (size);
 }
 
+size_t
+fnvlist_size_xdr(nvlist_t *nvl)
+{
+	size_t size;
+	VERIFY0(nvlist_size(nvl, &size, NV_ENCODE_XDR));
+	return (size);
+}
+
 /*
  * Returns allocated buffer of size *sizep.  Caller must free the buffer with
  * fnvlist_pack_free().
@@ -82,6 +90,15 @@ fnvlist_pack(nvlist_t *nvl, size_t *sizep)
 	return (packed);
 }
 
+char *
+fnvlist_pack_xdr(nvlist_t *nvl, size_t *sizep)
+{
+	char *packed = 0;
+	VERIFY3U(nvlist_pack(nvl, &packed, sizep, NV_ENCODE_XDR,
+	    KM_SLEEP), ==, 0);
+	return (packed);
+}
+
 void
 fnvlist_pack_free(char *pack, size_t size)
 {
diff --git a/module/nvpair/nvpair.c b/module/nvpair/nvpair.c
index 887f7d32df..e03828437f 100644
--- a/module/nvpair/nvpair.c
+++ b/module/nvpair/nvpair.c
@@ -2757,8 +2757,7 @@ nvlist_xunpack(char *buf, size_t buflen, nvlist_t **nvlp, nv_alloc_t *nva)
 	if ((err = nvlist_xalloc(&nvl, 0, nva)) != 0)
 		return (err);
 
-	if ((err = nvlist_common(nvl, buf, &buflen, NV_ENCODE_NATIVE,
-	    NVS_OP_DECODE)) != 0)
+	if ((err = nvlist_common(nvl, buf, &buflen, -1, NVS_OP_DECODE)) != 0)
 		nvlist_free(nvl);
 	else
 		*nvlp = nvl;
diff --git a/module/zfs/dmu_send.c b/module/zfs/dmu_send.c
index cb2b62fed3..c971fe8985 100644
--- a/module/zfs/dmu_send.c
+++ b/module/zfs/dmu_send.c
@@ -2530,7 +2530,7 @@ dmu_send_impl(struct dmu_send_params *dspp)
 	}
 
 	if (!nvlist_empty(nvl)) {
-		payload = fnvlist_pack(nvl, &payload_len);
+		payload = fnvlist_pack_xdr(nvl, &payload_len);
 		drr->drr_payloadlen = payload_len;
 	}
 
diff --git a/module/zfs/dsl_dataset.c b/module/zfs/dsl_dataset.c
index 042725b235..74650d0b10 100644
--- a/module/zfs/dsl_dataset.c
+++ b/module/zfs/dsl_dataset.c
@@ -2421,6 +2421,7 @@ get_receive_resume_token_impl(dsl_dataset_t *ds)
 		    redact_snaps, num_redact_snaps);
 		kmem_free(redact_snaps, int_size * num_redact_snaps);
 	}
+	/* XXX: using XDR seems to cause performace problems */
 	packed = fnvlist_pack(token_nv, &packed_size);
 	fnvlist_free(token_nv);
 	compressed = kmem_alloc(packed_size, KM_SLEEP);
diff --git a/module/zfs/spa_config.c b/module/zfs/spa_config.c
index a77874ea0d..fcd6bf744a 100644
--- a/module/zfs/spa_config.c
+++ b/module/zfs/spa_config.c
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ spa_config_write(spa_config_dirent_t *dp, nvlist_t *nvl)
 	/*
 	 * Pack the configuration into a buffer.
 	 */
-	buf = fnvlist_pack(nvl, &buflen);
+	buf = fnvlist_pack_xdr(nvl, &buflen);
 	temp = kmem_zalloc(MAXPATHLEN, KM_SLEEP);
 
 	/*
diff --git a/module/zfs/spa_history.c b/module/zfs/spa_history.c
index de036d6c37..f2b2a722cd 100644
--- a/module/zfs/spa_history.c
+++ b/module/zfs/spa_history.c
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ spa_history_log_sync(void *arg, dmu_tx_t *tx)
 		    fnvlist_lookup_string(nvl, ZPOOL_HIST_IOCTL));
 	}
 
-	VERIFY3U(nvlist_pack(nvl, &record_packed, &reclen, NV_ENCODE_NATIVE,
+	VERIFY3U(nvlist_pack(nvl, &record_packed, &reclen, NV_ENCODE_XDR,
 	    KM_SLEEP), ==, 0);
 
 	mutex_enter(&spa->spa_history_lock);