diff --git a/config/spl-build.m4 b/config/spl-build.m4
index 40f072bf7191..4d6109a0e281 100644
--- a/config/spl-build.m4
+++ b/config/spl-build.m4
@@ -191,7 +191,16 @@ AC_DEFUN([SPL_AC_KERNEL], [
 dnl #
 dnl # Default SPL user configuration
 dnl #
-AC_DEFUN([SPL_AC_CONFIG_USER], [])
+AC_DEFUN([SPL_AC_CONFIG_USER], [
+	dnl # Explicitly check for gawk, we require it for the the usermode
+	dnl # helper.  For some reason the standard awk command does not
+	dnl # behave correctly when invoked from the usermode helper.
+	AS_IF([test "x$AWK" != xgawk], [
+                AC_MSG_ERROR([
+	*** Required util gawk missing.  Please install the required
+	*** gawk package for your distribution and try again.])
+	])
+])
 
 AC_DEFUN([SPL_AC_LICENSE], [
 	AC_MSG_CHECKING([spl license])
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 4c5df996f420..8792553fec7a 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -14988,7 +14988,20 @@ _ACEOF
 
 
  ;;
-                user)      ;;
+                user)
+				if test "x$AWK" != xgawk; then
+
+                { { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: error:
+	*** Required util gawk missing.  Please install the required
+	*** gawk package for your distribution and try again." >&5
+$as_echo "$as_me: error:
+	*** Required util gawk missing.  Please install the required
+	*** gawk package for your distribution and try again." >&2;}
+   { (exit 1); exit 1; }; }
+
+fi
+
+   ;;
                 all)
 
 
@@ -18501,7 +18514,20 @@ _ACEOF
 
 
 
-                           ;;
+
+				if test "x$AWK" != xgawk; then
+
+                { { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: error:
+	*** Required util gawk missing.  Please install the required
+	*** gawk package for your distribution and try again." >&5
+$as_echo "$as_me: error:
+	*** Required util gawk missing.  Please install the required
+	*** gawk package for your distribution and try again." >&2;}
+   { (exit 1); exit 1; }; }
+
+fi
+
+   ;;
 		srpm)                        ;;
                 *)
                 { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: Error!" >&5
diff --git a/module/spl/spl-generic.c b/module/spl/spl-generic.c
index 956be688223f..b9ab7109a33f 100644
--- a/module/spl/spl-generic.c
+++ b/module/spl/spl-generic.c
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(zone_get_hostid);
  * the requested address.
  */
 #define GET_KALLSYMS_ADDR_CMD						\
-	"awk '{ if ( $3 == \"kallsyms_lookup_name\") { print $1 } }' "	\
+	"gawk '{ if ( $3 == \"kallsyms_lookup_name\") { print $1 } }' "	\
 	"/proc/kallsyms >/proc/sys/kernel/spl/kallsyms_lookup_name"
 
 static int