diff --git a/sys/cam/cam_periph.c b/sys/cam/cam_periph.c
--- a/sys/cam/cam_periph.c
+++ b/sys/cam/cam_periph.c
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@
 #include <cam/cam_ccb.h>
 #include <cam/cam_queue.h>
 #include <cam/cam_xpt_periph.h>
+#include <cam/cam_xpt_internal.h>
 #include <cam/cam_periph.h>
 #include <cam/cam_debug.h>
 #include <cam/cam_sim.h>
@@ -1247,7 +1248,10 @@
 	 * in the do loop below.
 	 */
 	if (must_poll) {
-		timeout = xpt_poll_setup(ccb);
+		if (cam_sim_pollable(ccb->ccb_h.path->bus->sim))
+			timeout = xpt_poll_setup(ccb);
+		else
+			timeout = 0;
 	}
 
 	if (timeout == 0) {
diff --git a/sys/cam/cam_sim.h b/sys/cam/cam_sim.h
--- a/sys/cam/cam_sim.h
+++ b/sys/cam/cam_sim.h
@@ -142,5 +142,11 @@
 	return (sim->bus_id);
 }
 
+static __inline bool
+cam_sim_pollable(const struct cam_sim *sim)
+{
+	return (sim->sim_poll != NULL);
+}
+
 #endif /* _KERNEL */
 #endif /* _CAM_CAM_SIM_H */
diff --git a/sys/cam/cam_xpt.c b/sys/cam/cam_xpt.c
--- a/sys/cam/cam_xpt.c
+++ b/sys/cam/cam_xpt.c
@@ -3181,6 +3181,7 @@
 {
 	struct mtx *mtx;
 
+	KASSERT(cam_sim_pollable(sim), ("%s: non-pollable sim", __func__));
 	mtx = sim->mtx;
 	if (mtx)
 		mtx_lock(mtx);
@@ -3203,6 +3204,8 @@
 	devq = sim->devq;
 	dev = start_ccb->ccb_h.path->device;
 
+	KASSERT(cam_sim_pollable(sim), ("%s: non-pollable sim", __func__));
+
 	/*
 	 * Steal an opening so that no other queued requests
 	 * can get it before us while we simulate interrupts.
@@ -3226,6 +3229,7 @@
 xpt_pollwait(union ccb *start_ccb, uint32_t timeout)
 {
 
+	KASSERT(cam_sim_pollable(sim), ("%s: non-pollable sim", __func__));
 	while (--timeout > 0) {
 		xpt_sim_poll(start_ccb->ccb_h.path->bus->sim);
 		if ((start_ccb->ccb_h.status & CAM_STATUS_MASK)