Index: sys/kern/sys_process.c
===================================================================
--- sys/kern/sys_process.c
+++ sys/kern/sys_process.c
@@ -387,8 +387,9 @@
 			error = EINVAL;
 			break;
 		}
-		while (entry != &map->header &&
-		    (entry->eflags & MAP_ENTRY_IS_SUB_MAP) != 0) {
+		KASSERT((map->header.eflags & MAP_ENTRY_IS_SUB_MAP) == 0,
+		    ("Submap in map header"));
+		while ((entry->eflags & MAP_ENTRY_IS_SUB_MAP) != 0) {
 			entry = entry->next;
 			index++;
 		}
Index: sys/vm/vm_map.h
===================================================================
--- sys/vm/vm_map.h
+++ sys/vm/vm_map.h
@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@
 #define	MAP_ENTRY_GUARD			0x10000
 #define	MAP_ENTRY_STACK_GAP_DN		0x20000
 #define	MAP_ENTRY_STACK_GAP_UP		0x40000
+#define	MAP_ENTRY_HEADER		0x80000
 
 #ifdef	_KERNEL
 static __inline u_char
Index: sys/vm/vm_map.c
===================================================================
--- sys/vm/vm_map.c
+++ sys/vm/vm_map.c
@@ -796,6 +796,7 @@
 {
 
 	map->header.next = map->header.prev = &map->header;
+	map->header.eflags = MAP_ENTRY_HEADER;
 	map->needs_wakeup = FALSE;
 	map->system_map = 0;
 	map->pmap = pmap;
@@ -1277,8 +1278,8 @@
 		if (object->ref_count > 1 || object->shadow_count != 0)
 			vm_object_clear_flag(object, OBJ_ONEMAPPING);
 		VM_OBJECT_WUNLOCK(object);
-	} else if (prev_entry != &map->header &&
-	    (prev_entry->eflags & ~MAP_ENTRY_USER_WIRED) == protoeflags &&
+	} else if ((prev_entry->eflags & ~MAP_ENTRY_USER_WIRED) ==
+	    protoeflags &&
 	    (cow & (MAP_STACK_GROWS_DOWN | MAP_STACK_GROWS_UP)) == 0 &&
 	    prev_entry->end == start && (prev_entry->cred == cred ||
 	    (prev_entry->object.vm_object != NULL &&
@@ -1708,8 +1709,7 @@
 		return;
 
 	prev = entry->prev;
-	if (prev != &map->header &&
-	    vm_map_mergeable_neighbors(prev, entry)) {
+	if (vm_map_mergeable_neighbors(prev, entry)) {
 		vm_map_entry_unlink(map, prev);
 		entry->start = prev->start;
 		entry->offset = prev->offset;
@@ -1719,8 +1719,7 @@
 	}
 
 	next = entry->next;
-	if (next != &map->header &&
-	    vm_map_mergeable_neighbors(entry, next)) {
+	if (vm_map_mergeable_neighbors(entry, next)) {
 		vm_map_entry_unlink(map, next);
 		entry->end = next->end;
 		vm_map_entry_resize_free(map, entry);