diff --git a/usr.sbin/makefs/ffs.h b/usr.sbin/makefs/ffs.h
--- a/usr.sbin/makefs/ffs.h
+++ b/usr.sbin/makefs/ffs.h
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 
 #include <ufs/ufs/dinode.h>
 #include <ufs/ffs/fs.h>
+#include <stdbool.h>
 
 typedef struct {
 	char	label[MAXVOLLEN];	/* volume name/label */
@@ -52,6 +53,7 @@
 	int	cpg;		/* cylinders per group */
 	int	cpgflg;		/* cpg was specified by user */
 	int	density;	/* bytes per inode */
+	bool	min_inodes;	/* allocate minimum number of inodes */
 	int	ntracks;	/* number of tracks */
 	int	nsectors;	/* number of sectors */
 	int	rpm;		/* rpm */
diff --git a/usr.sbin/makefs/ffs.c b/usr.sbin/makefs/ffs.c
--- a/usr.sbin/makefs/ffs.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/makefs/ffs.c
@@ -190,6 +190,7 @@
 	ffs_opts->fsize= -1;
 	ffs_opts->cpg= -1;
 	ffs_opts->density= -1;
+	ffs_opts->min_inodes= false;
 	ffs_opts->minfree= -1;
 	ffs_opts->optimization= -1;
 	ffs_opts->maxcontig= -1;
@@ -266,6 +267,11 @@
 		printf("ffs_makefs: image %s directory %s root %p\n",
 		    image, dir, root);
 
+		/* if user wants no free space, use minimum number of inodes */
+	if (fsopts->minsize == 0 && fsopts->freeblockpc == 0 &&
+	    fsopts->freeblocks == 0)
+		((ffs_opt_t *)fsopts->fs_specific)->min_inodes = true;
+
 		/* validate tree and options */
 	TIMER_START(start);
 	ffs_validate(dir, root, fsopts);
@@ -424,7 +430,7 @@
 	if (fsopts->roundup > 0)
 		fsopts->size = roundup(fsopts->size, fsopts->roundup);
 
-		/* calculate density if necessary */
+		/* calculate density to just fit inodes if no free space */
 	if (ffs_opts->density == -1)
 		ffs_opts->density = fsopts->size / fsopts->inodes + 1;
 
diff --git a/usr.sbin/makefs/ffs/mkfs.c b/usr.sbin/makefs/ffs/mkfs.c
--- a/usr.sbin/makefs/ffs/mkfs.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/makefs/ffs/mkfs.c
@@ -117,10 +117,13 @@
 struct fs *
 ffs_mkfs(const char *fsys, const fsinfo_t *fsopts, time_t tstamp)
 {
-	int fragsperinode, optimalfpg, origdensity, minfpg, lastminfpg;
+	int fragsperinode, optimalfpg, origdensity, mindensity;
+	int minfpg, lastminfpg;
 	int32_t csfrags;
 	uint32_t i, cylno;
 	long long sizepb;
+	ino_t maxinum;
+	int minfragsperinode;   /* minimum ratio of frags to inodes */
 	void *space;
 	int size;
 	int nprintcols, printcolwidth;
@@ -312,7 +315,20 @@
 	 * can put into each cylinder group. If this is too big, we reduce
 	 * the density until it fits.
 	 */
+	maxinum = (((int64_t)(1)) << 32) - INOPB(&sblock);
+	minfragsperinode = 1 + fssize / maxinum;
+	mindensity = minfragsperinode * fsize;
+	if (density == 0)
+		density = MAX(2, minfragsperinode) * fsize;
+	if (density < mindensity) {
+		origdensity = density;
+		density = mindensity;
+		fprintf(stderr, "density increased from %d to %d\n",
+		    origdensity, density);
+	}
 	origdensity = density;
+	if (!ffs_opts->min_inodes)
+		density = MIN(density, MAX(2, minfragsperinode) * fsize);
 	for (;;) {
 		fragsperinode = MAX(numfrags(&sblock, density), 1);
 		minfpg = fragsperinode * INOPB(&sblock);
diff --git a/usr.sbin/makefs/makefs.8 b/usr.sbin/makefs/makefs.8
--- a/usr.sbin/makefs/makefs.8
+++ b/usr.sbin/makefs/makefs.8
@@ -312,7 +312,10 @@
 .It Sy bsize
 Block size.
 .It Sy density
-Bytes per inode.
+Bytes per inode. If unset, will allocate the minimum number of inodes to
+represent the filesystem if no free space has been requested (free blocks
+or minimum size set); otherwise the larger of the newfs defaults or what
+is required by the free inode parameters if set.
 .It Sy fsize
 Fragment size.
 .It Sy label