diff --git a/module/zfs/spa.c b/module/zfs/spa.c
index 0b69568e2a..aa97144f16 100644
--- a/module/zfs/spa.c
+++ b/module/zfs/spa.c
@@ -100,6 +100,26 @@
 #include "zfs_prop.h"
 #include "zfs_comutil.h"
 
+/*
+ * spa_thread() existed on Illumos as a parent thread for the various worker
+ * threads that actually run the pool, as a way to both reference the entire
+ * pool work as a single object, and to share properties like scheduling
+ * options. It has not yet been adapted to Linux or FreeBSD. This define is
+ * used to mark related parts of the code to make things easier for the reader,
+ * and to compile this code out. It can be removed when someone implements it,
+ * moves it to some Illumos-specific place, or removes it entirely.
+ */
+#undef HAVE_SPA_THREAD
+
+/*
+ * The "System Duty Cycle" scheduling class is an Illumos feature to help
+ * prevent CPU-intensive kernel threads from affecting latency on interactive
+ * threads. It doesn't exist on Linux or FreeBSD, so the supporting code is
+ * gated behind a define. On Illumos SDC depends on spa_thread(), but
+ * spa_thread() also has other uses, so this is a separate define.
+ */
+#undef HAVE_SYSDC
+
 /*
  * The interval, in seconds, at which failed configuration cache file writes
  * should be retried.
@@ -176,10 +196,15 @@ static uint_t metaslab_preload_pct = 50;
 
 static uint_t	zio_taskq_batch_pct = 80;	  /* 1 thread per cpu in pset */
 static uint_t	zio_taskq_batch_tpq;		  /* threads per taskq */
+
+#ifdef HAVE_SYSDC
 static const boolean_t	zio_taskq_sysdc = B_TRUE; /* use SDC scheduling class */
 static const uint_t	zio_taskq_basedc = 80;	  /* base duty cycle */
+#endif
 
+#ifdef HAVE_SPA_THREAD
 static const boolean_t spa_create_process = B_TRUE; /* no process => no sysdc */
+#endif
 
 /*
  * Report any spa_load_verify errors found, but do not fail spa_load.
@@ -1029,7 +1054,9 @@ spa_taskqs_init(spa_t *spa, zio_type_t t, zio_taskq_type_t q)
 	uint_t count = ztip->zti_count;
 	spa_taskqs_t *tqs = &spa->spa_zio_taskq[t][q];
 	uint_t cpus, flags = TASKQ_DYNAMIC;
+#ifdef HAVE_SYSDC
 	boolean_t batch = B_FALSE;
+#endif
 
 	switch (mode) {
 	case ZTI_MODE_FIXED:
@@ -1037,7 +1064,9 @@ spa_taskqs_init(spa_t *spa, zio_type_t t, zio_taskq_type_t q)
 		break;
 
 	case ZTI_MODE_BATCH:
+#ifdef HAVE_SYSDC
 		batch = B_TRUE;
+#endif
 		flags |= TASKQ_THREADS_CPU_PCT;
 		value = MIN(zio_taskq_batch_pct, 100);
 		break;
@@ -1106,6 +1135,7 @@ spa_taskqs_init(spa_t *spa, zio_type_t t, zio_taskq_type_t q)
 			(void) snprintf(name, sizeof (name), "%s_%s",
 			    zio_type_name[t], zio_taskq_types[q]);
 
+#ifdef HAVE_SYSDC
 		if (zio_taskq_sysdc && spa->spa_proc != &p0) {
 			if (batch)
 				flags |= TASKQ_DC_BATCH;
@@ -1114,6 +1144,7 @@ spa_taskqs_init(spa_t *spa, zio_type_t t, zio_taskq_type_t q)
 			tq = taskq_create_sysdc(name, value, 50, INT_MAX,
 			    spa->spa_proc, zio_taskq_basedc, flags);
 		} else {
+#endif
 			pri_t pri = maxclsyspri;
 			/*
 			 * The write issue taskq can be extremely CPU
@@ -1139,7 +1170,9 @@ spa_taskqs_init(spa_t *spa, zio_type_t t, zio_taskq_type_t q)
 			}
 			tq = taskq_create_proc(name, value, pri, 50,
 			    INT_MAX, spa->spa_proc, flags);
+#ifdef HAVE_SYSDC
 		}
+#endif
 
 		tqs->stqs_taskq[i] = tq;
 	}
@@ -1224,11 +1257,6 @@ spa_create_zio_taskqs(spa_t *spa)
 	}
 }
 
-/*
- * Disabled until spa_thread() can be adapted for Linux.
- */
-#undef HAVE_SPA_THREAD
-
 #if defined(_KERNEL) && defined(HAVE_SPA_THREAD)
 static void
 spa_thread(void *arg)
@@ -1269,9 +1297,11 @@ spa_thread(void *arg)
 		pool_unlock();
 	}
 
+#ifdef HAVE_SYSDC
 	if (zio_taskq_sysdc) {
 		sysdc_thread_enter(curthread, 100, 0);
 	}
+#endif
 
 	spa->spa_proc = curproc;
 	spa->spa_did = curthread->t_did;
@@ -1327,7 +1357,6 @@ spa_activate(spa_t *spa, spa_mode_t mode)
 	ASSERT(spa->spa_proc == &p0);
 	spa->spa_did = 0;
 
-	(void) spa_create_process;
 #ifdef HAVE_SPA_THREAD
 	/* Only create a process if we're going to be around a while. */
 	if (spa_create_process && strcmp(spa->spa_name, TRYIMPORT_NAME) != 0) {