To solve the rate-dependent hysteresis compensation problem in fast steering mirror (FSM) systems, an improved Prandtl-Ishlinskii (P-I) model is proposed in this paper. The proposed model is formulated by employing a linear density function into the STOP operator. By this way, the proposed model has a relatively simple mathematic format, which can be applied to compensate the rate-dependent hysteresis directly. Adaptive differential evolution algorithm is utilized to obtain the accurate parameters of the proposed model. A fast steering mirror control system is established to demonstrate the validity and feasibility of the improved P-I model. Comparative experiments with different input signals are performed and analyzed, and the results show that the proposed model not only suppresses the rate-dependent hysteresis effectively, but also obtains high tracking precision.