diff --git a/include/sys/spa_impl.h b/include/sys/spa_impl.h
index bc88cfa15e8e..280f8cf16958 100644
--- a/include/sys/spa_impl.h
+++ b/include/sys/spa_impl.h
@@ -141,9 +141,9 @@ typedef struct spa_config_lock {
 	kmutex_t	scl_lock;
 	kthread_t	*scl_writer;
 	int		scl_write_wanted;
+	int		scl_count;
 	kcondvar_t	scl_cv;
-	zfs_refcount_t	scl_count;
-} spa_config_lock_t;
+} ____cacheline_aligned spa_config_lock_t;
 
 typedef struct spa_config_dirent {
 	list_node_t	scd_link;
diff --git a/module/zfs/spa_misc.c b/module/zfs/spa_misc.c
index 65b0988d675b..c73c07bdfe99 100644
--- a/module/zfs/spa_misc.c
+++ b/module/zfs/spa_misc.c
@@ -444,9 +444,9 @@ spa_config_lock_init(spa_t *spa)
 		spa_config_lock_t *scl = &spa->spa_config_lock[i];
 		mutex_init(&scl->scl_lock, NULL, MUTEX_DEFAULT, NULL);
 		cv_init(&scl->scl_cv, NULL, CV_DEFAULT, NULL);
-		zfs_refcount_create_untracked(&scl->scl_count);
 		scl->scl_writer = NULL;
 		scl->scl_write_wanted = 0;
+		scl->scl_count = 0;
 	}
 }
 
@@ -457,9 +457,9 @@ spa_config_lock_destroy(spa_t *spa)
 		spa_config_lock_t *scl = &spa->spa_config_lock[i];
 		mutex_destroy(&scl->scl_lock);
 		cv_destroy(&scl->scl_cv);
-		zfs_refcount_destroy(&scl->scl_count);
 		ASSERT(scl->scl_writer == NULL);
 		ASSERT(scl->scl_write_wanted == 0);
+		ASSERT(scl->scl_count == 0);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -480,7 +480,7 @@ spa_config_tryenter(spa_t *spa, int locks, void *tag, krw_t rw)
 			}
 		} else {
 			ASSERT(scl->scl_writer != curthread);
-			if (!zfs_refcount_is_zero(&scl->scl_count)) {
+			if (scl->scl_count != 0) {
 				mutex_exit(&scl->scl_lock);
 				spa_config_exit(spa, locks & ((1 << i) - 1),
 				    tag);
@@ -488,7 +488,7 @@ spa_config_tryenter(spa_t *spa, int locks, void *tag, krw_t rw)
 			}
 			scl->scl_writer = curthread;
 		}
-		(void) zfs_refcount_add(&scl->scl_count, tag);
+		scl->scl_count++;
 		mutex_exit(&scl->scl_lock);
 	}
 	return (1);
@@ -514,14 +514,14 @@ spa_config_enter(spa_t *spa, int locks, const void *tag, krw_t rw)
 			}
 		} else {
 			ASSERT(scl->scl_writer != curthread);
-			while (!zfs_refcount_is_zero(&scl->scl_count)) {
+			while (scl->scl_count != 0) {
 				scl->scl_write_wanted++;
 				cv_wait(&scl->scl_cv, &scl->scl_lock);
 				scl->scl_write_wanted--;
 			}
 			scl->scl_writer = curthread;
 		}
-		(void) zfs_refcount_add(&scl->scl_count, tag);
+		scl->scl_count++;
 		mutex_exit(&scl->scl_lock);
 	}
 	ASSERT3U(wlocks_held, <=, locks);
@@ -535,8 +535,8 @@ spa_config_exit(spa_t *spa, int locks, const void *tag)
 		if (!(locks & (1 << i)))
 			continue;
 		mutex_enter(&scl->scl_lock);
-		ASSERT(!zfs_refcount_is_zero(&scl->scl_count));
-		if (zfs_refcount_remove(&scl->scl_count, tag) == 0) {
+		ASSERT(scl->scl_count > 0);
+		if (--scl->scl_count == 0) {
 			ASSERT(scl->scl_writer == NULL ||
 			    scl->scl_writer == curthread);
 			scl->scl_writer = NULL;	/* OK in either case */
@@ -555,8 +555,7 @@ spa_config_held(spa_t *spa, int locks, krw_t rw)
 		spa_config_lock_t *scl = &spa->spa_config_lock[i];
 		if (!(locks & (1 << i)))
 			continue;
-		if ((rw == RW_READER &&
-		    !zfs_refcount_is_zero(&scl->scl_count)) ||
+		if ((rw == RW_READER && scl->scl_count != 0) ||
 		    (rw == RW_WRITER && scl->scl_writer == curthread))
 			locks_held |= 1 << i;
 	}