diff --git a/cmd/zpool/zpool_main.c b/cmd/zpool/zpool_main.c
index a3537b177..347b232a1 100644
--- a/cmd/zpool/zpool_main.c
+++ b/cmd/zpool/zpool_main.c
@@ -5083,6 +5083,31 @@ list_callback(zpool_handle_t *zhp, void *data)
 	return (0);
 }
 
+// this is a slightly modified version of the iostat func get_namewidth
+int
+get_namewidth_list(zpool_handle_t *zhp, void *data)
+{
+	list_cbdata_t *cb = data;
+	nvlist_t *config, *nvroot;
+
+	if ((config = zpool_get_config(zhp, NULL)) != NULL) {
+		verify(nvlist_lookup_nvlist(config, ZPOOL_CONFIG_VDEV_TREE,
+			&nvroot) == 0);
+		unsigned int poolname_len = strlen(zpool_get_name(zhp));
+		if (!cb->cb_verbose)
+			cb->cb_namewidth = MAX(poolname_len, cb->cb_namewidth);
+		else
+			cb->cb_namewidth = MAX(poolname_len,
+				max_width(zhp, nvroot, 0, cb->cb_namewidth,
+				cb->cb_name_flags));
+	}
+
+	if (cb->cb_namewidth < 10)
+		cb->cb_namewidth = 10;
+
+	return (0);
+}
+
 /*
  * zpool list [-gHLpP] [-o prop[,prop]*] [-T d|u] [pool] ... [interval [count]]
  *
@@ -5173,6 +5198,9 @@ zpool_do_list(int argc, char **argv)
 		if (timestamp_fmt != NODATE)
 			print_timestamp(timestamp_fmt);
 
+		cb.cb_namewidth = 0;
+		(void) pool_list_iter(list, B_FALSE, get_namewidth_list, &cb);
+
 		if (!cb.cb_scripted && (first || cb.cb_verbose)) {
 			print_header(&cb);
 			first = B_FALSE;