diff --git a/cmd/zdb/zdb.c b/cmd/zdb/zdb.c
index 41809d70fdcb..319825ca9abe 100644
--- a/cmd/zdb/zdb.c
+++ b/cmd/zdb/zdb.c
@@ -89,12 +89,14 @@ extern boolean_t zfs_recover;
 extern uint64_t zfs_arc_max, zfs_arc_meta_limit;
 extern int zfs_vdev_async_read_max_active;
 extern int aok;
+extern boolean_t spa_load_verify_dryrun;
 #else
 int reference_tracking_enable;
 boolean_t zfs_recover;
 uint64_t zfs_arc_max, zfs_arc_meta_limit;
 int zfs_vdev_async_read_max_active;
 int aok;
+boolean_t spa_load_verify_dryrun;
 #endif
 
 static const char cmdname[] = "zdb";
@@ -4543,6 +4545,12 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	 */
 	reference_tracking_enable = B_FALSE;
 
+	/*
+	 * Do not fail spa_load when spa_load_verify fails. This is needed
+	 * to load non-idle pools.
+	 */
+	spa_load_verify_dryrun = B_TRUE;
+
 	kernel_init(FREAD);
 	g_zfs = libzfs_init();
 	ASSERT(g_zfs != NULL);
diff --git a/uts/common/fs/zfs/spa.c b/uts/common/fs/zfs/spa.c
index a425f8c91284..56d316a16d76 100644
--- a/uts/common/fs/zfs/spa.c
+++ b/uts/common/fs/zfs/spa.c
@@ -164,6 +164,12 @@ uint_t		zio_taskq_basedc = 80;		/* base duty cycle */
 boolean_t	spa_create_process = B_TRUE;	/* no process ==> no sysdc */
 extern int	zfs_sync_pass_deferred_free;
 
+/*
+ * Report any spa_load_verify errors found, but do not fail spa_load.
+ * This is used by zdb to analyze non-idle pools.
+ */
+boolean_t	spa_load_verify_dryrun = B_FALSE;
+
 /*
  * This (illegal) pool name is used when temporarily importing a spa_t in order
  * to get the vdev stats associated with the imported devices.
@@ -2014,8 +2020,15 @@ spa_load_verify(spa_t *spa)
 	spa->spa_load_meta_errors = sle.sle_meta_count;
 	spa->spa_load_data_errors = sle.sle_data_count;
 
-	if (!error && sle.sle_meta_count <= policy.zrp_maxmeta &&
-	    sle.sle_data_count <= policy.zrp_maxdata) {
+	if (sle.sle_meta_count != 0 || sle.sle_data_count != 0) {
+		spa_load_note(spa, "spa_load_verify found %llu metadata errors "
+		    "and %llu data errors", (u_longlong_t)sle.sle_meta_count,
+		    (u_longlong_t)sle.sle_data_count);
+	}
+
+	if (spa_load_verify_dryrun ||
+	    (!error && sle.sle_meta_count <= policy.zrp_maxmeta &&
+	    sle.sle_data_count <= policy.zrp_maxdata)) {
 		int64_t loss = 0;
 
 		verify_ok = B_TRUE;
@@ -2033,6 +2046,9 @@ spa_load_verify(spa_t *spa)
 		spa->spa_load_max_txg = spa->spa_uberblock.ub_txg;
 	}
 
+	if (spa_load_verify_dryrun)
+		return (0);
+
 	if (error) {
 		if (error != ENXIO && error != EIO)
 			error = SET_ERROR(EIO);