diff --git a/sys/kern/kern_exec.c b/sys/kern/kern_exec.c
--- a/sys/kern/kern_exec.c
+++ b/sys/kern/kern_exec.c
@@ -241,9 +241,9 @@
 
 #ifndef _SYS_SYSPROTO_H_
 struct execve_args {
-	char    *fname; 
+	char    *fname;
 	char    **argv;
-	char    **envv; 
+	char    **envv;
 };
 #endif
 
@@ -421,10 +421,10 @@
 	struct ktr_io_params *kiop;
 #endif
 	struct vnode *oldtextvp = NULL, *newtextvp;
-	int credential_changing;
+	bool credential_changing, hardlink_lookup;
 #ifdef MAC
 	struct label *interpvplabel = NULL;
-	int will_transition;
+	bool will_transition;
 #endif
 #ifdef HWPMC_HOOKS
 	struct pmckern_procexec pe;
@@ -432,6 +432,7 @@
 	int error, i, orig_osrel;
 	uint32_t orig_fctl0;
 	Elf_Brandinfo *orig_brandinfo;
+	size_t freepath_size;
 	static const char fexecv_proc_title[] = "(fexecv)";
 
 	imgp = &image_params;
@@ -477,9 +478,11 @@
 	 * XXXAUDIT: It would be desirable to also audit the name of the
 	 * interpreter if this is an interpreted binary.
 	 */
+	hardlink_lookup = args->fname != NULL && args->fname[0] != '/';
 	if (args->fname != NULL) {
 		NDINIT(&nd, LOOKUP, ISOPEN | LOCKLEAF | LOCKSHARED | FOLLOW |
-		    SAVENAME | AUDITVNODE1, UIO_SYSSPACE, args->fname, td);
+		    SAVENAME | AUDITVNODE1 | (hardlink_lookup ? WANTPARENT : 0),
+		    UIO_SYSSPACE, args->fname, td);
 	}
 
 	SDT_PROBE1(proc, , , exec, args->fname);
@@ -509,7 +512,8 @@
 		/*
 		 * Descriptors opened only with O_EXEC or O_RDONLY are allowed.
 		 */
-		error = fgetvp_exec(td, args->fd, &cap_fexecve_rights, &newtextvp);
+		error = fgetvp_exec(td, args->fd, &cap_fexecve_rights,
+		    &newtextvp);
 		if (error)
 			goto exec_fail;
 		vn_lock(newtextvp, LK_SHARED | LK_RETRY);
@@ -557,14 +561,14 @@
 	 * XXXMAC: For the time being, use NOSUID to also prohibit
 	 * transitions on the file system.
 	 */
-	credential_changing = 0;
+	credential_changing = false;
 	credential_changing |= (attr.va_mode & S_ISUID) &&
 	    oldcred->cr_uid != attr.va_uid;
 	credential_changing |= (attr.va_mode & S_ISGID) &&
 	    oldcred->cr_gid != attr.va_gid;
 #ifdef MAC
 	will_transition = mac_vnode_execve_will_transition(oldcred, imgp->vp,
-	    interpvplabel, imgp);
+	    interpvplabel, imgp) != 0;
 	credential_changing |= will_transition;
 #endif
 
@@ -624,11 +628,24 @@
 	/*
 	 * Do the best to calculate the full path to the image file.
 	 */
-	if (args->fname != NULL && args->fname[0] == '/')
-		imgp->execpath = args->fname;
-	else {
+	if (args->fname != NULL) {
+		if (args->fname[0] == '/') {
+			MPASS(!hardlink_lookup);
+			imgp->execpath = args->fname;
+		} else {
+			VOP_UNLOCK(imgp->vp);
+			MPASS(hardlink_lookup);
+			freepath_size = MAXPATHLEN;
+			if (vn_fullpath_hardlink(&nd, &imgp->execpath,
+			    &imgp->freepath, &freepath_size) != 0)
+				imgp->execpath = args->fname;
+			vn_lock(imgp->vp, LK_SHARED | LK_RETRY);
+		}
+	} else {
 		VOP_UNLOCK(imgp->vp);
-		if (vn_fullpath(imgp->vp, &imgp->execpath, &imgp->freepath) != 0)
+		MPASS(!hardlink_lookup);
+		if (vn_fullpath(imgp->vp, &imgp->execpath,
+		    &imgp->freepath) != 0)
 			imgp->execpath = args->fname;
 		vn_lock(imgp->vp, LK_SHARED | LK_RETRY);
 	}
@@ -678,16 +695,19 @@
 		VOP_UNSET_TEXT_CHECKED(newtextvp);
 		imgp->textset = false;
 		/* free name buffer and old vnode */
-		if (args->fname != NULL)
-			NDFREE(&nd, NDF_ONLY_PNBUF);
 #ifdef MAC
 		mac_execve_interpreter_enter(newtextvp, &interpvplabel);
 #endif
 		if (imgp->opened) {
 			VOP_CLOSE(newtextvp, FREAD, td->td_ucred, td);
-			imgp->opened = 0;
+			imgp->opened = false;
 		}
 		vput(newtextvp);
+		if (args->fname != NULL) {
+			if (hardlink_lookup && nd.ni_dvp != NULL)
+				vrele(nd.ni_dvp);
+			NDFREE(&nd, NDF_ONLY_PNBUF);
+		}
 		vm_object_deallocate(imgp->object);
 		imgp->object = NULL;
 		execve_nosetid(imgp);
@@ -695,9 +715,11 @@
 		free(imgp->freepath, M_TEMP);
 		imgp->freepath = NULL;
 		/* set new name to that of the interpreter */
-		NDINIT(&nd, LOOKUP, ISOPEN | LOCKLEAF | LOCKSHARED | FOLLOW |
-		    SAVENAME, UIO_SYSSPACE, imgp->interpreter_name, td);
 		args->fname = imgp->interpreter_name;
+		hardlink_lookup = args->fname != NULL && args->fname[0] != '/';
+		NDINIT(&nd, LOOKUP, ISOPEN | LOCKLEAF | LOCKSHARED | FOLLOW |
+		    SAVENAME | (hardlink_lookup ? WANTPARENT : 0),
+		    UIO_SYSSPACE, imgp->interpreter_name, td);
 		goto interpret;
 	}
 
@@ -928,8 +950,6 @@
 		exec_unmap_first_page(imgp);
 
 	if (imgp->vp != NULL) {
-		if (args->fname)
-			NDFREE(&nd, NDF_ONLY_PNBUF);
 		if (imgp->opened)
 			VOP_CLOSE(imgp->vp, FREAD, td->td_ucred, td);
 		if (imgp->textset)
@@ -938,6 +958,11 @@
 			vput(imgp->vp);
 		else
 			VOP_UNLOCK(imgp->vp);
+		if (args->fname != NULL) {
+			if (hardlink_lookup && nd.ni_dvp != NULL)
+				vrele(nd.ni_dvp);
+			NDFREE(&nd, NDF_ONLY_PNBUF);
+		}
 	}
 
 	if (imgp->object != NULL)
@@ -1040,7 +1065,7 @@
 #endif
 	error = vm_page_grab_valid_unlocked(&m, object, 0,
 	    VM_ALLOC_COUNT(VM_INITIAL_PAGEIN) |
-            VM_ALLOC_NORMAL | VM_ALLOC_NOBUSY | VM_ALLOC_WIRED);
+	    VM_ALLOC_NORMAL | VM_ALLOC_NOBUSY | VM_ALLOC_WIRED);
 
 	if (error != VM_PAGER_OK)
 		return (EIO);
@@ -1089,7 +1114,7 @@
 	vm_prot_t stack_prot;
 	u_long ssiz;
 
-	imgp->vmspace_destroyed = 1;
+	imgp->vmspace_destroyed = true;
 	imgp->sysent = sv;
 
 	if (p->p_sysent->sv_onexec_old != NULL)
@@ -1789,7 +1814,7 @@
 	 */
 	error = VOP_OPEN(vp, FREAD, td->td_ucred, td, NULL);
 	if (error == 0)
-		imgp->opened = 1;
+		imgp->opened = true;
 	return (error);
 }
 
@@ -1985,7 +2010,8 @@
 	if (locked)
 		PROC_UNLOCK(p);
 	if (cp->comp != NULL)
-		error = compressor_write(cp->comp, __DECONST(char *, data), len);
+		error = compressor_write(cp->comp, __DECONST(char *, data),
+		    len);
 	else
 		error = core_write(cp, __DECONST(void *, data), len, cp->offset,
 		    UIO_SYSSPACE, NULL);
diff --git a/sys/kern/vfs_cache.c b/sys/kern/vfs_cache.c
--- a/sys/kern/vfs_cache.c
+++ b/sys/kern/vfs_cache.c
@@ -579,8 +579,6 @@
     "Number of times 3-way vnode locking failed");
 
 static void cache_zap_locked(struct namecache *ncp);
-static int vn_fullpath_hardlink(struct nameidata *ndp, char **retbuf,
-    char **freebuf, size_t *buflen);
 static int vn_fullpath_any_smr(struct vnode *vp, struct vnode *rdir, char *buf,
     char **retbuf, size_t *buflen, size_t addend);
 static int vn_fullpath_any(struct vnode *vp, struct vnode *rdir, char *buf,
@@ -3602,7 +3600,7 @@
  * - otherwise we populate the buffer with the saved name and start resolving
  *   from the parent
  */
-static int
+int
 vn_fullpath_hardlink(struct nameidata *ndp, char **retbuf, char **freebuf,
     size_t *buflen)
 {
diff --git a/sys/sys/imgact.h b/sys/sys/imgact.h
--- a/sys/sys/imgact.h
+++ b/sys/sys/imgact.h
@@ -58,21 +58,16 @@
 };
 
 struct image_params {
-	struct proc *proc;	/* our process struct */
+	struct proc *proc;		/* our process */
 	struct label *execlabel;	/* optional exec label */
-	struct vnode *vp;	/* pointer to vnode of file to exec */
+	struct vnode *vp;		/* pointer to vnode of file to exec */
 	struct vm_object *object;	/* The vm object for this vp */
-	struct vattr *attr;	/* attributes of file */
-	const char *image_header; /* head of file to exec */
-	unsigned long entry_addr; /* entry address of target executable */
-	unsigned long reloc_base; /* load address of image */
-	char vmspace_destroyed;	/* flag - we've blown away original vm space */
-#define IMGACT_SHELL	0x1
-#define IMGACT_BINMISC	0x2
-	unsigned char interpreted;	/* mask of interpreters that have run */
-	char opened;		/* flag - we have opened executable vnode */
-	char *interpreter_name;	/* name of the interpreter */
-	void *auxargs;		/* ELF Auxinfo structure pointer */
+	struct vattr *attr;		/* attributes of file */
+	const char *image_header;	/* header of file to exec */
+	unsigned long entry_addr;	/* entry address of target executable */
+	unsigned long reloc_base;	/* load address of image */
+	char *interpreter_name;		/* name of the interpreter */
+	void *auxargs;			/* ELF Auxinfo structure pointer */
 	struct sf_buf *firstpage;	/* first page that we mapped */
 	void *ps_strings;		/* pointer to ps_string (user space) */
 	struct image_args *args;	/* system call arguments */
@@ -90,7 +85,12 @@
 	u_long stack_sz;
 	u_long eff_stack_sz;
 	struct ucred *newcred;		/* new credentials if changing */
+#define IMGACT_SHELL	0x1
+#define IMGACT_BINMISC	0x2
+	unsigned char interpreted;	/* mask of interpreters that have run */
 	bool credential_setid;		/* true if becoming setid */
+	bool vmspace_destroyed;		/* we've blown away original vm space */
+	bool opened;			/* we have opened executable vnode */
 	bool textset;
 	u_int map_flags;
 };
diff --git a/sys/sys/vnode.h b/sys/sys/vnode.h
--- a/sys/sys/vnode.h
+++ b/sys/sys/vnode.h
@@ -697,6 +697,8 @@
 int	vn_getcwd(char *buf, char **retbuf, size_t *buflen);
 int	vn_fullpath(struct vnode *vp, char **retbuf, char **freebuf);
 int	vn_fullpath_global(struct vnode *vp, char **retbuf, char **freebuf);
+int	vn_fullpath_hardlink(struct nameidata *ndp, char **retbuf,
+	    char **freebuf, size_t *buflen);
 struct vnode *
 	vn_dir_dd_ino(struct vnode *vp);
 int	vn_commname(struct vnode *vn, char *buf, u_int buflen);