diff --git a/module/os/linux/spl/spl-taskq.c b/module/os/linux/spl/spl-taskq.c
index 00ff789265c6..82e2495b1faf 100644
--- a/module/os/linux/spl/spl-taskq.c
+++ b/module/os/linux/spl/spl-taskq.c
@@ -633,14 +633,31 @@ taskq_cancel_id(taskq_t *tq, taskqid_t id)
 
 		/*
 		 * The task_expire() function takes the tq->tq_lock so drop
-		 * drop the lock before synchronously cancelling the timer.
+		 * the lock before synchronously cancelling the timer.
+		 *
+		 * Always call timer_delete_sync() unconditionally. A
+		 * timer_pending() check would be insufficient and unsafe.
+		 * When a timer expires, it is immediately dequeued from the
+		 * timer wheel (timer_pending() returns FALSE), but the
+		 * callback (task_expire) may not run until later.
+		 *
+		 * The race window:
+		 * 1) Timer expires and is dequeued - timer_pending() now
+		 *    returns FALSE
+		 * 2) task_done() is called below, freeing the task, sets
+		 *    tqent_func = NULL and clears flags including CANCEL
+		 * 3) Timer callback finally runs, sees no CANCEL flag,
+		 *    queues task to prio_list
+		 * 4) Worker thread attempts to execute NULL tqent_func
+		 *    and panics
+		 *
+		 * timer_delete_sync() prevents this by ensuring the timer
+		 * callback completes before the task is freed.
 		 */
-		if (timer_pending(&t->tqent_timer)) {
-			spin_unlock_irqrestore(&tq->tq_lock, flags);
-			timer_delete_sync(&t->tqent_timer);
-			spin_lock_irqsave_nested(&tq->tq_lock, flags,
-			    tq->tq_lock_class);
-		}
+		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&tq->tq_lock, flags);
+		timer_delete_sync(&t->tqent_timer);
+		spin_lock_irqsave_nested(&tq->tq_lock, flags,
+		    tq->tq_lock_class);
 
 		if (!(t->tqent_flags & TQENT_FLAG_PREALLOC))
 			task_done(tq, t);