diff --git a/lib/libc/sys/stat.2 b/lib/libc/sys/stat.2
--- a/lib/libc/sys/stat.2
+++ b/lib/libc/sys/stat.2
@@ -111,6 +111,17 @@
 flag in the
 .Xr open 2
 manual page.
+.It Dv AT_EMPTY_PATH
+If the
+.Fa path
+argument is an empty string, operate on the file or directory
+referenced by the descriptor
+.Fa fd .
+If
+.Fa fd
+is equal to
+.Dv AT_FDCWD ,
+operate on the current working directory.
 .El
 .Pp
 If
diff --git a/sys/kern/vfs_lookup.c b/sys/kern/vfs_lookup.c
--- a/sys/kern/vfs_lookup.c
+++ b/sys/kern/vfs_lookup.c
@@ -319,6 +319,7 @@
 		ndp->ni_lcf |= NI_LCF_STRICTRELATIVE;
 		ndp->ni_resflags |= NIRES_STRICTREL;
 		if (ndp->ni_dirfd == AT_FDCWD) {
+			/* XXXKIB allow for EMPTYPATH ? */
 #ifdef KTRACE
 			if (KTRPOINT(td, KTR_CAPFAIL))
 				ktrcapfail(CAPFAIL_LOOKUP, NULL, NULL);
@@ -400,7 +401,9 @@
 			}
 #endif
 		}
-		if (error == 0 && (*dpp)->v_type != VDIR)
+		if (error == 0 && (*dpp)->v_type != VDIR &&
+		    (cnp->cn_pnbuf[0] != '\0' ||
+		    (cnp->cn_flags & EMPTYPATH) == 0))
 			error = ENOTDIR;
 	}
 	if (error == 0 && (cnp->cn_flags & RBENEATH) != 0) {
@@ -466,7 +469,6 @@
 	 * Don't allow empty pathnames.
 	 */
 	if (__predict_false(*cnp->cn_pnbuf == '\0')) {
-		namei_cleanup_cnp(cnp);
 		return (ENOENT);
 	}
 
@@ -554,6 +556,36 @@
 
 	error = namei_getpath(ndp);
 	if (__predict_false(error != 0)) {
+		if (error == ENOENT) {
+			MPASS(*cnp->cn_pnbuf == '\0');
+			if ((cnp->cn_flags & EMPTYPATH) != 0) {
+				MPASS((cnp->cn_flags & (LOCKPARENT |
+				    WANTPARENT)) == 0);
+				error = namei_setup(ndp, &dp, &pwd);
+				if (error == 0) {
+					ndp->ni_vp = dp;
+					vref(dp);
+					SDT_PROBE4(vfs, namei, lookup, return,
+					    error, ndp->ni_vp, false, ndp);
+					namei_cleanup_cnp(cnp);
+					pwd_drop(pwd);
+					ndp->ni_resflags |= NIRES_EMPTYPATH;
+					NDVALIDATE(ndp);
+					if ((cnp->cn_flags & LOCKLEAF) != 0) {
+						VOP_LOCK(dp, (cnp->cn_flags &
+						    LOCKSHARED) != 0 ?
+						    LK_SHARED : LK_EXCLUSIVE);
+						if (VN_IS_DOOMED(dp)) {
+							vput(dp);
+							return (ENOENT);
+						}
+					}
+					return (0);
+				}
+			}
+			namei_cleanup_cnp(cnp);
+		}
+		SDT_PROBE4(vfs, namei, lookup, return, error, NULL, false, ndp);
 		return (error);
 	}
 
diff --git a/sys/kern/vfs_syscalls.c b/sys/kern/vfs_syscalls.c
--- a/sys/kern/vfs_syscalls.c
+++ b/sys/kern/vfs_syscalls.c
@@ -129,6 +129,8 @@
 		res |= (at_flags & AT_SYMLINK_NOFOLLOW) != 0 ? NOFOLLOW :
 		    FOLLOW;
 	}
+	if ((mask & AT_EMPTY_PATH) != 0 && (at_flags & AT_EMPTY_PATH) != 0)
+		res |= EMPTYPATH;
 	return (res);
 }
 
@@ -1496,12 +1498,13 @@
 	int flag;
 
 	flag = uap->flag;
-	if ((flag & ~(AT_SYMLINK_FOLLOW | AT_RESOLVE_BENEATH)) != 0)
+	if ((flag & ~(AT_SYMLINK_FOLLOW | AT_RESOLVE_BENEATH |
+	    AT_EMPTY_PATH)) != 0)
 		return (EINVAL);
 
 	return (kern_linkat(td, uap->fd1, uap->fd2, uap->path1, uap->path2,
 	    UIO_USERSPACE, at2cnpflags(flag, AT_SYMLINK_FOLLOW |
-	    AT_RESOLVE_BENEATH)));
+	    AT_RESOLVE_BENEATH | AT_EMPTY_PATH)));
 }
 
 int hardlink_check_uid = 0;
@@ -1578,6 +1581,23 @@
 	    LOCKPARENT | SAVENAME | AUDITVNODE2 | NOCACHE, segflag, path, fd,
 	    &cap_linkat_target_rights, td);
 	if ((error = namei(&nd)) == 0) {
+		if ((nd.ni_resflags & NIRES_EMPTYPATH) != 0) {
+			error = priv_check(td, PRIV_VFS_FHOPEN);
+			if (error != 0) {
+				NDFREE(&nd, NDF_ONLY_PNBUF);
+				if (nd.ni_vp != NULL) {
+					if (nd.ni_dvp == nd.ni_vp)
+						vrele(nd.ni_dvp);
+					else
+						vput(nd.ni_dvp);
+					vrele(nd.ni_vp);
+				} else {
+					vput(nd.ni_dvp);
+				}
+				vrele(vp);
+				return (error);
+			}
+		}
 		if (nd.ni_vp != NULL) {
 			NDFREE(&nd, NDF_ONLY_PNBUF);
 			if (nd.ni_dvp == nd.ni_vp)
@@ -2387,12 +2407,13 @@
 	struct nameidata nd;
 	int error;
 
-	if ((flag & ~(AT_SYMLINK_NOFOLLOW | AT_RESOLVE_BENEATH)) != 0)
+	if ((flag & ~(AT_SYMLINK_NOFOLLOW | AT_RESOLVE_BENEATH |
+	    AT_EMPTY_PATH)) != 0)
 		return (EINVAL);
 
 	NDINIT_ATRIGHTS(&nd, LOOKUP, at2cnpflags(flag, AT_RESOLVE_BENEATH |
-	    AT_SYMLINK_NOFOLLOW) | LOCKSHARED | LOCKLEAF | AUDITVNODE1,
-	    pathseg, path, fd, &cap_fstat_rights, td);
+	    AT_SYMLINK_NOFOLLOW | AT_EMPTY_PATH) | LOCKSHARED | LOCKLEAF |
+	    AUDITVNODE1, pathseg, path, fd, &cap_fstat_rights, td);
 
 	if ((error = namei(&nd)) != 0)
 		return (error);
@@ -2710,7 +2731,8 @@
 sys_chflagsat(struct thread *td, struct chflagsat_args *uap)
 {
 
-	if ((uap->atflag & ~(AT_SYMLINK_NOFOLLOW | AT_RESOLVE_BENEATH)) != 0)
+	if ((uap->atflag & ~(AT_SYMLINK_NOFOLLOW | AT_RESOLVE_BENEATH |
+	    AT_EMPTY_PATH)) != 0)
 		return (EINVAL);
 
 	return (kern_chflagsat(td, uap->fd, uap->path, UIO_USERSPACE,
@@ -2743,8 +2765,8 @@
 
 	AUDIT_ARG_FFLAGS(flags);
 	NDINIT_ATRIGHTS(&nd, LOOKUP, at2cnpflags(atflag, AT_SYMLINK_NOFOLLOW |
-	    AT_RESOLVE_BENEATH) | AUDITVNODE1, pathseg, path, fd,
-	    &cap_fchflags_rights, td);
+	    AT_RESOLVE_BENEATH | AT_EMPTY_PATH) | AUDITVNODE1, pathseg, path,
+	    fd, &cap_fchflags_rights, td);
 	if ((error = namei(&nd)) != 0)
 		return (error);
 	NDFREE_NOTHING(&nd);
@@ -2838,7 +2860,8 @@
 sys_fchmodat(struct thread *td, struct fchmodat_args *uap)
 {
 
-	if ((uap->flag & ~(AT_SYMLINK_NOFOLLOW | AT_RESOLVE_BENEATH)) != 0)
+	if ((uap->flag & ~(AT_SYMLINK_NOFOLLOW | AT_RESOLVE_BENEATH |
+	    AT_EMPTY_PATH)) != 0)
 		return (EINVAL);
 
 	return (kern_fchmodat(td, uap->fd, uap->path, UIO_USERSPACE,
@@ -2871,8 +2894,8 @@
 
 	AUDIT_ARG_MODE(mode);
 	NDINIT_ATRIGHTS(&nd, LOOKUP, at2cnpflags(flag, AT_SYMLINK_NOFOLLOW |
-	    AT_RESOLVE_BENEATH) | AUDITVNODE1, pathseg, path, fd,
-	    &cap_fchmod_rights, td);
+	    AT_RESOLVE_BENEATH | AT_EMPTY_PATH) | AUDITVNODE1, pathseg, path,
+	    fd, &cap_fchmod_rights, td);
 	if ((error = namei(&nd)) != 0)
 		return (error);
 	NDFREE_NOTHING(&nd);
@@ -2966,7 +2989,8 @@
 sys_fchownat(struct thread *td, struct fchownat_args *uap)
 {
 
-	if ((uap->flag & ~(AT_SYMLINK_NOFOLLOW | AT_RESOLVE_BENEATH)) != 0)
+	if ((uap->flag & ~(AT_SYMLINK_NOFOLLOW | AT_RESOLVE_BENEATH |
+	    AT_EMPTY_PATH)) != 0)
 		return (EINVAL);
 
 	return (kern_fchownat(td, uap->fd, uap->path, UIO_USERSPACE, uap->uid,
@@ -2982,8 +3006,8 @@
 
 	AUDIT_ARG_OWNER(uid, gid);
 	NDINIT_ATRIGHTS(&nd, LOOKUP, at2cnpflags(flag, AT_SYMLINK_NOFOLLOW |
-	    AT_RESOLVE_BENEATH) | AUDITVNODE1, pathseg, path, fd,
-	    &cap_fchown_rights, td);
+	    AT_RESOLVE_BENEATH | AT_EMPTY_PATH) | AUDITVNODE1, pathseg, path,
+	    fd, &cap_fchown_rights, td);
 
 	if ((error = namei(&nd)) != 0)
 		return (error);
@@ -3334,13 +3358,14 @@
 	struct timespec ts[2];
 	int error, flags;
 
-	if ((flag & ~(AT_SYMLINK_NOFOLLOW | AT_RESOLVE_BENEATH)) != 0)
+	if ((flag & ~(AT_SYMLINK_NOFOLLOW | AT_RESOLVE_BENEATH |
+	    AT_EMPTY_PATH)) != 0)
 		return (EINVAL);
 
 	if ((error = getutimens(tptr, tptrseg, ts, &flags)) != 0)
 		return (error);
 	NDINIT_ATRIGHTS(&nd, LOOKUP, at2cnpflags(flag, AT_SYMLINK_NOFOLLOW |
-	    AT_RESOLVE_BENEATH) | AUDITVNODE1,
+	    AT_RESOLVE_BENEATH | AT_EMPTY_PATH) | AUDITVNODE1,
 	    pathseg, path, fd, &cap_futimes_rights, td);
 	if ((error = namei(&nd)) != 0)
 		return (error);
diff --git a/sys/sys/fcntl.h b/sys/sys/fcntl.h
--- a/sys/sys/fcntl.h
+++ b/sys/sys/fcntl.h
@@ -219,10 +219,13 @@
 #define	AT_SYMLINK_NOFOLLOW	0x0200	/* Do not follow symbolic links */
 #define	AT_SYMLINK_FOLLOW	0x0400	/* Follow symbolic link */
 #define	AT_REMOVEDIR		0x0800	/* Remove directory instead of file */
+#endif	/* __POSIX_VISIBLE >= 200809 */
+#if __BSD_VISIBLE
 /* #define AT_UNUSED1		0x1000 *//* Was AT_BENEATH */
 #define	AT_RESOLVE_BENEATH	0x2000	/* Do not allow name resolution
 					   to walk out of dirfd */
-#endif
+#define	AT_EMPTY_PATH		0x4000	/* Operate on dirfd if path is empty */
+#endif	/* __BSD_VISIBLE */
 
 /*
  * Constants used for fcntl(2)
diff --git a/sys/sys/namei.h b/sys/sys/namei.h
--- a/sys/sys/namei.h
+++ b/sys/sys/namei.h
@@ -144,10 +144,12 @@
 #define	WANTPARENT	0x0010	/* want parent vnode returned unlocked */
 #define	FAILIFEXISTS	0x0020	/* return EEXIST if found */
 #define	FOLLOW		0x0040	/* follow symbolic links */
+#define	EMPTYPATH	0x0080	/* Allow empty path for *at */
 #define	LOCKSHARED	0x0100	/* Shared lock leaf */
 #define	NOFOLLOW	0x0000	/* do not follow symbolic links (pseudo) */
 #define	RBENEATH	0x100000000ULL /* No escape, even tmp, from start dir */
 #define	MODMASK		0xf000001ffULL	/* mask of operational modifiers */
+
 /*
  * Namei parameter descriptors.
  *
@@ -198,6 +200,7 @@
  */
 #define	NIRES_ABS	0x00000001 /* Path was absolute */
 #define	NIRES_STRICTREL	0x00000002 /* Restricted lookup result */
+#define	NIRES_EMPTYPATH	0x00000004 /* EMPTYPATH used */
 
 /*
  * Flags in ni_lcf, valid for the duration of the namei call.