Index: sys/kern/kern_linker.c
===================================================================
--- sys/kern/kern_linker.c
+++ sys/kern/kern_linker.c
@@ -2069,23 +2069,28 @@
 {
 	linker_file_t lfdep;
 	const char *filename;
+	struct proc *p;
 	char *pathname;
 	int error;
 
 	sx_assert(&kld_sx, SA_XLOCKED);
+
+	p = curproc;
 	if (modname == NULL) {
 		/*
  		 * We have to load KLD
  		 */
 		KASSERT(verinfo == NULL, ("linker_load_module: verinfo"
 		    " is not NULL"));
-		if (rootvnode == NULL)
+		/* check if root file system is not mounted */
+		if (rootvnode == NULL || p->p_fd->fd_rdir == NULL)
 			return (ENXIO);
 		pathname = linker_search_kld(kldname);
 	} else {
 		if (modlist_lookup2(modname, verinfo) != NULL)
 			return (EEXIST);
-		if (rootvnode == NULL)
+		/* check if root file system is not mounted */
+		if (rootvnode == NULL || p->p_fd->fd_rdir == NULL)
 			return (ENXIO);
 		if (kldname != NULL)
 			pathname = strdup(kldname, M_LINKER);
Index: sys/kern/subr_firmware.c
===================================================================
--- sys/kern/subr_firmware.c
+++ sys/kern/subr_firmware.c
@@ -257,7 +257,6 @@
 static void
 loadimage(void *arg, int npending)
 {
-	struct thread *td = curthread;
 	char *imagename = arg;
 	struct priv_fw *fp;
 	linker_file_t result;
@@ -267,11 +266,6 @@
 	mtx_lock(&firmware_mtx);
 	mtx_unlock(&firmware_mtx);
 
-	if (td->td_proc->p_fd->fd_rdir == NULL) {
-		printf("%s: root not mounted yet, no way to load image\n",
-		    imagename);
-		goto done;
-	}
 	error = linker_reference_module(imagename, NULL, &result);
 	if (error != 0) {
 		printf("%s: could not load firmware image, error %d\n",