diff --git a/config/spl-build.m4 b/config/spl-build.m4
index b9c04a95e01d..55453c822e7d 100644
--- a/config/spl-build.m4
+++ b/config/spl-build.m4
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ AC_DEFUN([SPL_AC_CONFIG_KERNEL], [
 	SPL_AC_USLEEP_RANGE
 	SPL_AC_KMEM_CACHE_ALLOCFLAGS
 	SPL_AC_WAIT_ON_BIT
+	SPL_AC_MUTEX_OWNER
 ])
 
 AC_DEFUN([SPL_AC_MODULE_SYMVERS], [
@@ -1447,3 +1448,31 @@ AC_DEFUN([SPL_AC_WAIT_ON_BIT], [
 		AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
 	])
 ])
+
+dnl #
+dnl # Check whether mutex has owner with task_struct type.
+dnl #
+dnl # Note that before Linux 3.0, mutex owner is of type thread_info.
+dnl #
+dnl # Note that in Linux 3.18, the condition for owner is changed from
+dnl # defined(CONFIG_DEBUG_MUTEXES) || defined(CONFIG_SMP) to
+dnl # defined(CONFIG_DEBUG_MUTEXES) || defined(CONFIG_MUTEX_SPIN_ON_OWNER)
+dnl #
+AC_DEFUN([SPL_AC_MUTEX_OWNER], [
+	AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether mutex has owner])
+	tmp_flags="$EXTRA_KCFLAGS"
+	EXTRA_KCFLAGS="-Werror"
+	SPL_LINUX_TRY_COMPILE([
+		#include <linux/mutex.h>
+	],[
+		DEFINE_MUTEX(m);
+		struct task_struct *t __attribute__ ((unused));
+		t = m.owner;
+	],[
+		AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)
+		AC_DEFINE(HAVE_MUTEX_OWNER, 1, [yes])
+	],[
+		AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
+	])
+	EXTRA_KCFLAGS="$tmp_flags"
+])
diff --git a/include/sys/mutex.h b/include/sys/mutex.h
index fba35f3f9813..31923522308e 100644
--- a/include/sys/mutex.h
+++ b/include/sys/mutex.h
@@ -40,7 +40,10 @@ typedef enum {
 typedef struct {
 	struct mutex		m_mutex;
 	spinlock_t		m_lock;	/* used for serializing mutex_exit */
+#ifndef HAVE_MUTEX_OWNER
+	/* only when kernel doesn't have owner */
 	kthread_t		*m_owner;
+#endif
 #ifdef CONFIG_LOCKDEP
 	kmutex_type_t		m_type;
 #endif /* CONFIG_LOCKDEP */
@@ -51,16 +54,28 @@ typedef struct {
 static inline void
 spl_mutex_set_owner(kmutex_t *mp)
 {
+	/*
+	 * kernel will handle its owner, so we don't need to do anything if it
+	 * is defined.
+	 */
+#ifndef HAVE_MUTEX_OWNER
 	mp->m_owner = current;
+#endif
 }
 
 static inline void
 spl_mutex_clear_owner(kmutex_t *mp)
 {
+#ifndef HAVE_MUTEX_OWNER
 	mp->m_owner = NULL;
+#endif
 }
 
+#ifdef HAVE_MUTEX_OWNER
+#define	mutex_owner(mp)		(ACCESS_ONCE(MUTEX(mp)->owner))
+#else
 #define	mutex_owner(mp)		(ACCESS_ONCE((mp)->m_owner))
+#endif
 #define	mutex_owned(mp)		(mutex_owner(mp) == current)
 #define	MUTEX_HELD(mp)		mutex_owned(mp)
 #define	MUTEX_NOT_HELD(mp)	(!MUTEX_HELD(mp))