diff --git a/stand/i386/common/bootargs.h b/stand/i386/common/bootargs.h
index 771b1a67a94..655e05aad19 100644
--- a/stand/i386/common/bootargs.h
+++ b/stand/i386/common/bootargs.h
@@ -84,11 +84,15 @@ struct bootargs
 
 #ifdef LOADER_GELI_SUPPORT
 #include <crypto/intake.h>
+#include "geliboot.h"
 #endif
 
-struct geli_boot_args
+/*
+ * geli_boot_data is embedded in geli_boot_args (passed from gptboot to loader)
+ * and in zfs_boot_args (passed from zfsboot and gptzfsboot to loader).
+ */
+struct geli_boot_data
 {
-    uint32_t		size;
     union {
         char            gelipw[256];
         struct {
@@ -106,6 +110,49 @@ struct geli_boot_args
     };
 };
 
+#ifdef LOADER_GELI_SUPPORT
+
+static inline void
+export_geli_boot_data(struct geli_boot_data *gbdata)
+{
+
+	gbdata->notapw = '\0';
+	gbdata->keybuf_sentinel = KEYBUF_SENTINEL;
+	gbdata->keybuf = malloc(sizeof(struct keybuf) +
+	    (GELI_MAX_KEYS * sizeof(struct keybuf_ent)));
+	geli_export_key_buffer(gbdata->keybuf);
+}
+
+static inline void
+import_geli_boot_data(struct geli_boot_data *gbdata)
+{
+
+	if (gbdata->gelipw[0] != '\0') {
+	    setenv("kern.geom.eli.passphrase", gbdata->gelipw, 1);
+	    explicit_bzero(gbdata->gelipw, sizeof(gbdata->gelipw));
+	} else if (gbdata->keybuf_sentinel == KEYBUF_SENTINEL) {
+	    geli_import_key_buffer(gbdata->keybuf);
+	}
+}
+#endif /* LOADER_GELI_SUPPORT */
+
+struct geli_boot_args
+{
+	uint32_t		size;
+	struct geli_boot_data	gelidata;
+};
+
+struct zfs_boot_args
+{
+	uint32_t		size;
+	uint32_t		reserved;
+	uint64_t		pool;
+	uint64_t		root;
+	uint64_t		primary_pool;
+	uint64_t		primary_vdev;
+	struct geli_boot_data	gelidata;
+};
+
 #endif /*__ASSEMBLER__*/
 
 #endif	/* !_BOOT_I386_ARGS_H_ */
diff --git a/stand/i386/gptboot/gptboot.c b/stand/i386/gptboot/gptboot.c
index 04212be0786..9c52de7cb94 100644
--- a/stand/i386/gptboot/gptboot.c
+++ b/stand/i386/gptboot/gptboot.c
@@ -114,7 +114,6 @@ static int vdev_read(void *vdev __unused, void *priv, off_t off, void *buf,
 #ifdef LOADER_GELI_SUPPORT
 #include "geliboot.h"
 static char gelipw[GELI_PW_MAXLEN];
-static struct keybuf *gelibuf;
 #endif
 
 struct gptdsk {
@@ -480,12 +479,7 @@ load(void)
 #ifdef LOADER_GELI_SUPPORT
 	geliargs.size = sizeof(geliargs);
 	explicit_bzero(gelipw, sizeof(gelipw));
-	gelibuf = malloc(sizeof(struct keybuf) +
-	    (GELI_MAX_KEYS * sizeof(struct keybuf_ent)));
-	geli_export_key_buffer(gelibuf);
-	geliargs.notapw = '\0';
-	geliargs.keybuf_sentinel = KEYBUF_SENTINEL;
-	geliargs.keybuf = gelibuf;
+	export_geli_boot_data(&geliargs.gelidata);
 #endif
 	/*
 	 * Note that the geliargs struct is passed by value, not by pointer.
diff --git a/stand/i386/loader/main.c b/stand/i386/loader/main.c
index 1031344f5d4..e74c49c389e 100644
--- a/stand/i386/loader/main.c
+++ b/stand/i386/loader/main.c
@@ -172,15 +172,8 @@ main(void)
 #ifdef LOADER_GELI_SUPPORT
     if ((kargs->bootflags & KARGS_FLAGS_EXTARG) != 0) {
 	zargs = (struct zfs_boot_args *)(kargs + 1);
-	if (zargs != NULL && zargs->size >= offsetof(struct zfs_boot_args, gelipw)) {
-	    if (zargs->size >= offsetof(struct zfs_boot_args, keybuf_sentinel) &&
-	      zargs->keybuf_sentinel == KEYBUF_SENTINEL) {
-		geli_import_key_buffer(zargs->keybuf);
-	    }
-	    if (zargs->gelipw[0] != '\0') {
-		setenv("kern.geom.eli.passphrase", zargs->gelipw, 1);
-		explicit_bzero(zargs->gelipw, sizeof(zargs->gelipw));
-	    }
+	if (zargs->size > offsetof(struct zfs_boot_args, gelidata)) {
+	    import_geli_boot_data(&zargs->gelidata);
 	}
     }
 #endif /* LOADER_GELI_SUPPORT */
@@ -188,14 +181,8 @@ main(void)
 #ifdef LOADER_GELI_SUPPORT
     if ((kargs->bootflags & KARGS_FLAGS_EXTARG) != 0) {
 	gargs = (struct geli_boot_args *)(kargs + 1);
-	if (gargs != NULL && gargs->size >= offsetof(struct geli_boot_args, gelipw)) {
-	    if (gargs->keybuf_sentinel == KEYBUF_SENTINEL) {
-		geli_import_key_buffer(gargs->keybuf);
-	    }
-	    if (gargs->gelipw[0] != '\0') {
-		setenv("kern.geom.eli.passphrase", gargs->gelipw, 1);
-		explicit_bzero(gargs->gelipw, sizeof(gargs->gelipw));
-	    }
+	if (gargs->size >= offsetof(struct geli_boot_args, gelidata)) {
+	    import_geli_boot_data(&gargs->gelidata);
 	}
     }
 #endif /* LOADER_GELI_SUPPORT */
diff --git a/stand/i386/zfsboot/zfsboot.c b/stand/i386/zfsboot/zfsboot.c
index 2369276f5e6..28a9e9a3976 100644
--- a/stand/i386/zfsboot/zfsboot.c
+++ b/stand/i386/zfsboot/zfsboot.c
@@ -129,7 +129,6 @@ int main(void);
 #ifdef LOADER_GELI_SUPPORT
 #include "geliboot.h"
 static char gelipw[GELI_PW_MAXLEN];
-static struct keybuf *gelibuf;
 #endif
 
 struct zfsdsk {
@@ -993,13 +992,7 @@ load(void)
     zfsargs.primary_pool = primary_spa->spa_guid;
 #ifdef LOADER_GELI_SUPPORT
     explicit_bzero(gelipw, sizeof(gelipw));
-    gelibuf = malloc(sizeof(struct keybuf) + (GELI_MAX_KEYS * sizeof(struct keybuf_ent)));
-    geli_export_key_buffer(gelibuf);
-    zfsargs.notapw = '\0';
-    zfsargs.keybuf_sentinel = KEYBUF_SENTINEL;
-    zfsargs.keybuf = gelibuf;
-#else
-    zfsargs.gelipw[0] = '\0';
+    export_geli_boot_data(&zfsargs.gelidata);
 #endif
     if (primary_vdev != NULL)
 	zfsargs.primary_vdev = primary_vdev->v_guid;
diff --git a/stand/libsa/zfs/libzfs.h b/stand/libsa/zfs/libzfs.h
index dcbab89fa44..fef59e1bb13 100644
--- a/stand/libsa/zfs/libzfs.h
+++ b/stand/libsa/zfs/libzfs.h
@@ -44,31 +44,6 @@ struct zfs_devdesc {
 #include <crypto/intake.h>
 #endif
 
-struct zfs_boot_args
-{
-    uint32_t		size;
-    uint32_t		reserved;
-    uint64_t		pool;
-    uint64_t		root;
-    uint64_t		primary_pool;
-    uint64_t		primary_vdev;
-    union {
-	char		gelipw[256];
-	struct {
-            char                notapw;	/* 
-					 * single null byte to stop keybuf
-					 * being interpreted as a password
-					 */
-	    uint32_t		keybuf_sentinel;
-#ifdef LOADER_GELI_SUPPORT
-	    struct keybuf	*keybuf;
-#else
-	    void		*keybuf;
-#endif
-	};
-    };
-};
-
 int	zfs_parsedev(struct zfs_devdesc *dev, const char *devspec,
 		     const char **path);
 char	*zfs_fmtdev(void *vdev);