diff --git a/module/zfs/dnode.c b/module/zfs/dnode.c
index 00536f2774e7..43a2fcad6654 100644
--- a/module/zfs/dnode.c
+++ b/module/zfs/dnode.c
@@ -1197,7 +1197,7 @@ dnode_special_open(objset_t *os, dnode_phys_t *dnp, uint64_t object,
 	dnode_t *dn;
 
 	zrl_init(&dnh->dnh_zrlock);
-	zrl_tryenter(&dnh->dnh_zrlock);
+	VERIFY3U(1, ==, zrl_tryenter(&dnh->dnh_zrlock));
 
 	dn = dnode_create(os, dnp, NULL, object, dnh);
 	DNODE_VERIFY(dn);