diff --git a/man/man8/zpool.8 b/man/man8/zpool.8
index 85a0cc5f032f..54ba68698bd6 100644
--- a/man/man8/zpool.8
+++ b/man/man8/zpool.8
@@ -654,7 +654,7 @@ Because the kernel destroys and recreates this file when pools are added and
 removed, care should be taken when attempting to access this file.
 When the last pool using a
 .Sy cachefile
-is exported or destroyed, the file is removed.
+is exported or destroyed, the file will be empty.
 .It Sy comment Ns = Ns Ar text
 A text string consisting of printable ASCII characters that will be stored
 such that it is available even if the pool becomes faulted.
diff --git a/module/zfs/spa_config.c b/module/zfs/spa_config.c
index 8459e7362813..a49452ca6db2 100644
--- a/module/zfs/spa_config.c
+++ b/module/zfs/spa_config.c
@@ -147,6 +147,26 @@ spa_config_load(void)
 	kobj_close_file(file);
 }
 
+static int
+spa_config_remove(spa_config_dirent_t *dp)
+{
+#if defined(__linux__) && defined(_KERNEL)
+	int error, flags = FWRITE | FTRUNC;
+	uio_seg_t seg = UIO_SYSSPACE;
+	vnode_t *vp;
+
+	error = vn_open(dp->scd_path, seg, flags, 0644, &vp, 0, 0);
+	if (error == 0) {
+		(void) VOP_FSYNC(vp, FSYNC, kcred, NULL);
+		(void) VOP_CLOSE(vp, 0, 1, 0, kcred, NULL);
+	}
+
+	return (error);
+#else
+	return (vn_remove(dp->scd_path, UIO_SYSSPACE, RMFILE));
+#endif
+}
+
 static int
 spa_config_write(spa_config_dirent_t *dp, nvlist_t *nvl)
 {
@@ -161,12 +181,10 @@ spa_config_write(spa_config_dirent_t *dp, nvlist_t *nvl)
 	 * If the nvlist is empty (NULL), then remove the old cachefile.
 	 */
 	if (nvl == NULL) {
-		err = vn_remove(dp->scd_path, UIO_SYSSPACE, RMFILE);
-		/*
-		 * Don't report an error when the cache file is already removed
-		 */
+		err = spa_config_remove(dp);
 		if (err == ENOENT)
 			err = 0;
+
 		return (err);
 	}
 
@@ -179,9 +197,9 @@ spa_config_write(spa_config_dirent_t *dp, nvlist_t *nvl)
 #if defined(__linux__) && defined(_KERNEL)
 	/*
 	 * Write the configuration to disk.  Due to the complexity involved
-	 * in performing a rename from within the kernel the file is truncated
-	 * and overwritten in place.  In the event of an error the file is
-	 * unlinked to make sure we always have a consistent view of the data.
+	 * in performing a rename and remove from within the kernel the file
+	 * is instead truncated and overwritten in place.  This way we always
+	 * always have a consistent view of the data or a zero length file.
 	 */
 	err = vn_open(dp->scd_path, UIO_SYSSPACE, oflags, 0644, &vp, 0, 0);
 	if (err == 0) {
@@ -191,9 +209,8 @@ spa_config_write(spa_config_dirent_t *dp, nvlist_t *nvl)
 			err = VOP_FSYNC(vp, FSYNC, kcred, NULL);
 
 		(void) VOP_CLOSE(vp, oflags, 1, 0, kcred, NULL);
-
 		if (err)
-			(void) vn_remove(dp->scd_path, UIO_SYSSPACE, RMFILE);
+			(void) spa_config_remove(dp);
 	}
 #else
 	/*
diff --git a/tests/zfs-tests/tests/functional/cachefile/cachefile_004_pos.ksh b/tests/zfs-tests/tests/functional/cachefile/cachefile_004_pos.ksh
index ae54a9365f54..e0b81e166279 100755
--- a/tests/zfs-tests/tests/functional/cachefile/cachefile_004_pos.ksh
+++ b/tests/zfs-tests/tests/functional/cachefile/cachefile_004_pos.ksh
@@ -98,13 +98,13 @@ log_must zpool set cachefile=$CPATH2 $TESTPOOL1
 log_must pool_in_cache $TESTPOOL1 $CPATH2
 log_must zpool set cachefile=$CPATH2 $TESTPOOL2
 log_must pool_in_cache $TESTPOOL2 $CPATH2
-if [[ -f $CPATH1 ]]; then
+if [[ -s $CPATH1 ]]; then
 	log_fail "Verify set when cachefile is set on pool."
 fi
 
 log_must zpool export $TESTPOOL1
 log_must zpool export $TESTPOOL2
-if [[ -f $CPATH2 ]]; then
+if [[ -s $CPATH2 ]]; then
 	log_fail "Verify export when cachefile is set on pool."
 fi
 
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ log_must pool_in_cache $TESTPOOL2 $CPATH2
 
 log_must zpool destroy $TESTPOOL1
 log_must zpool destroy $TESTPOOL2
-if [[ -f $CPATH2 ]]; then
+if [[ -s $CPATH2 ]]; then
 	log_fail "Verify destroy when cachefile is set on pool."
 fi