diff --git a/sys/fs/nfsserver/nfs_nfsdport.c b/sys/fs/nfsserver/nfs_nfsdport.c
--- a/sys/fs/nfsserver/nfs_nfsdport.c
+++ b/sys/fs/nfsserver/nfs_nfsdport.c
@@ -1172,7 +1172,6 @@
 	error = nd->nd_repstat;
 	if (!error && ndp->ni_vp == NULL) {
 		if (nvap->na_type == VREG || nvap->na_type == VSOCK) {
-			vrele(ndp->ni_startdir);
 			error = VOP_CREATE(ndp->ni_dvp,
 			    &ndp->ni_vp, &ndp->ni_cnd, &nvap->na_vattr);
 			/* For a pNFS server, create the data file on a DS. */
@@ -1213,7 +1212,6 @@
 				nvap->na_type = VFIFO;
                         if (nvap->na_type != VFIFO &&
 			    (error = priv_check_cred(nd->nd_cred, PRIV_VFS_MKNOD_DEV))) {
-				vrele(ndp->ni_startdir);
 				nfsvno_relpathbuf(ndp);
 				vput(ndp->ni_dvp);
 				goto out;
@@ -1224,11 +1222,9 @@
 			VOP_VPUT_PAIR(ndp->ni_dvp, error == 0 ? &ndp->ni_vp :
 			    NULL, false);
 			nfsvno_relpathbuf(ndp);
-			vrele(ndp->ni_startdir);
 			if (error)
 				goto out;
 		} else {
-			vrele(ndp->ni_startdir);
 			nfsvno_relpathbuf(ndp);
 			vput(ndp->ni_dvp);
 			error = ENXIO;
@@ -1242,7 +1238,6 @@
 		 * 1 - clean up the lookup
 		 * 2 - iff !error and na_size set, truncate it
 		 */
-		vrele(ndp->ni_startdir);
 		nfsvno_relpathbuf(ndp);
 		*vpp = ndp->ni_vp;
 		if (ndp->ni_dvp == *vpp)
@@ -1285,7 +1280,6 @@
 	 * Iff doesn't exist, create it.
 	 */
 	if (ndp->ni_vp) {
-		vrele(ndp->ni_startdir);
 		nfsvno_relpathbuf(ndp);
 		vput(ndp->ni_dvp);
 		vrele(ndp->ni_vp);
@@ -1293,14 +1287,12 @@
 		goto out;
 	}
 	if (vtyp != VCHR && vtyp != VBLK && vtyp != VSOCK && vtyp != VFIFO) {
-		vrele(ndp->ni_startdir);
 		nfsvno_relpathbuf(ndp);
 		vput(ndp->ni_dvp);
 		error = NFSERR_BADTYPE;
 		goto out;
 	}
 	if (vtyp == VSOCK) {
-		vrele(ndp->ni_startdir);
 		error = VOP_CREATE(ndp->ni_dvp, &ndp->ni_vp,
 		    &ndp->ni_cnd, &nvap->na_vattr);
 		VOP_VPUT_PAIR(ndp->ni_dvp, error == 0 ? &ndp->ni_vp : NULL,
@@ -1309,7 +1301,6 @@
 	} else {
 		if (nvap->na_type != VFIFO &&
 		    (error = priv_check_cred(cred, PRIV_VFS_MKNOD_DEV))) {
-			vrele(ndp->ni_startdir);
 			nfsvno_relpathbuf(ndp);
 			vput(ndp->ni_dvp);
 			goto out;
@@ -1319,7 +1310,6 @@
 		VOP_VPUT_PAIR(ndp->ni_dvp, error == 0 ? &ndp->ni_vp : NULL,
 		    false);
 		nfsvno_relpathbuf(ndp);
-		vrele(ndp->ni_startdir);
 		/*
 		 * Since VOP_MKNOD returns the ni_vp, I can't
 		 * see any reason to do the lookup.
@@ -1371,7 +1361,6 @@
 	int error = 0;
 
 	if (ndp->ni_vp) {
-		vrele(ndp->ni_startdir);
 		nfsvno_relpathbuf(ndp);
 		if (ndp->ni_dvp == ndp->ni_vp)
 			vrele(ndp->ni_dvp);
@@ -1391,7 +1380,6 @@
 	 * Just vput it for v2.
 	 */
 	VOP_VPUT_PAIR(ndp->ni_dvp, &ndp->ni_vp, !not_v2 && error == 0);
-	vrele(ndp->ni_startdir);
 	nfsvno_relpathbuf(ndp);
 
 out:
@@ -1642,10 +1630,8 @@
 		NFSD_DEBUG(4, "nfsvno_rename: pnfsremove\n");
 	}
 
-	vrele(tondp->ni_startdir);
 	nfsvno_relpathbuf(tondp);
 out1:
-	vrele(fromndp->ni_startdir);
 	nfsvno_relpathbuf(fromndp);
 	NFSEXITCODE(error);
 	return (error);
@@ -1862,7 +1848,6 @@
 		    stateidp, stp, NULL, nd, p, nd->nd_repstat);
 	if (!nd->nd_repstat) {
 		if (ndp->ni_vp == NULL) {
-			vrele(ndp->ni_startdir);
 			nd->nd_repstat = VOP_CREATE(ndp->ni_dvp,
 			    &ndp->ni_vp, &ndp->ni_cnd, &nvap->na_vattr);
 			/* For a pNFS server, create the data file on a DS. */
@@ -1900,8 +1885,6 @@
 			}
 			vp = ndp->ni_vp;
 		} else {
-			if (ndp->ni_startdir)
-				vrele(ndp->ni_startdir);
 			nfsvno_relpathbuf(ndp);
 			vp = ndp->ni_vp;
 			if (create == NFSV4OPEN_CREATE) {
@@ -1935,8 +1918,7 @@
 		}
 	} else {
 		nfsvno_relpathbuf(ndp);
-		if (ndp->ni_startdir && create == NFSV4OPEN_CREATE) {
-			vrele(ndp->ni_startdir);
+		if (create == NFSV4OPEN_CREATE) {
 			if (ndp->ni_dvp == ndp->ni_vp)
 				vrele(ndp->ni_dvp);
 			else
@@ -4186,7 +4168,7 @@
 	int error;
 
 	NFSNAMEICNDSET(&named.ni_cnd, tcred, CREATE,
-	    LOCKPARENT | LOCKLEAF | SAVESTART | NOCACHE);
+	    LOCKPARENT | LOCKLEAF | NOCACHE);
 	nfsvno_setpathbuf(&named, &bufp, &hashp);
 	named.ni_cnd.cn_lkflags = LK_EXCLUSIVE;
 	named.ni_cnd.cn_nameptr = bufp;
diff --git a/sys/fs/nfsserver/nfs_nfsdserv.c b/sys/fs/nfsserver/nfs_nfsdserv.c
--- a/sys/fs/nfsserver/nfs_nfsdserv.c
+++ b/sys/fs/nfsserver/nfs_nfsdserv.c
@@ -611,7 +611,7 @@
 	}
 
 	NFSNAMEICNDSET(&named.ni_cnd, nd->nd_cred, LOOKUP,
-	    LOCKLEAF | SAVESTART);
+	    LOCKLEAF);
 	nfsvno_setpathbuf(&named, &bufp, &hashp);
 	error = nfsrv_parsename(nd, bufp, hashp, &named.ni_pathlen);
 	if (error) {
@@ -636,8 +636,6 @@
 			nfsrv_postopattr(nd, dattr_ret, &dattr);
 		goto out;
 	}
-	if (named.ni_startdir)
-		vrele(named.ni_startdir);
 	nfsvno_relpathbuf(&named);
 	vp = named.ni_vp;
 	if ((nd->nd_flag & ND_NFSV4) != 0 && !NFSVNO_EXPORTED(exp) &&
@@ -1160,7 +1158,7 @@
 		goto out;
 	}
 	NFSNAMEICNDSET(&named.ni_cnd, nd->nd_cred, CREATE,
-	    LOCKPARENT | LOCKLEAF | SAVESTART | NOCACHE);
+	    LOCKPARENT | LOCKLEAF | NOCACHE);
 	nfsvno_setpathbuf(&named, &bufp, &hashp);
 	error = nfsrv_parsename(nd, bufp, hashp, &named.ni_pathlen);
 	if (error)
@@ -1325,7 +1323,7 @@
 	struct thread *p = curthread;
 
 	NFSVNO_ATTRINIT(&nva);
-	cnflags = (LOCKPARENT | SAVESTART);
+	cnflags = LOCKPARENT;
 	if (nd->nd_repstat) {
 		nfsrv_wcc(nd, dirfor_ret, &dirfor, diraft_ret, &diraft);
 		goto out;
@@ -1633,7 +1631,7 @@
 		fdirfor_ret = nfsvno_getattr(dp, &fdirfor, nd, p, 1, NULL);
 	tond.ni_cnd.cn_nameiop = 0;
 	tond.ni_startdir = NULL;
-	NFSNAMEICNDSET(&fromnd.ni_cnd, nd->nd_cred, DELETE, WANTPARENT | SAVESTART);
+	NFSNAMEICNDSET(&fromnd.ni_cnd, nd->nd_cred, DELETE, WANTPARENT);
 	nfsvno_setpathbuf(&fromnd, &bufp, &hashp);
 	error = nfsrv_parsename(nd, bufp, hashp, &fromnd.ni_pathlen);
 	if (error) {
@@ -1694,7 +1692,7 @@
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	NFSNAMEICNDSET(&tond.ni_cnd, nd->nd_cred, RENAME, LOCKPARENT | LOCKLEAF | NOCACHE | SAVESTART);
+	NFSNAMEICNDSET(&tond.ni_cnd, nd->nd_cred, RENAME, LOCKPARENT | LOCKLEAF | NOCACHE);
 	nfsvno_setpathbuf(&tond, &tbufp, &hashp);
 	if (!nd->nd_repstat) {
 		error = nfsrv_parsename(nd, tbufp, hashp, &tond.ni_pathlen);
@@ -1900,7 +1898,7 @@
 		*vpp = NULL;
 	NFSVNO_ATTRINIT(&nva);
 	NFSNAMEICNDSET(&named.ni_cnd, nd->nd_cred, CREATE,
-	    LOCKPARENT | SAVESTART | NOCACHE);
+	    LOCKPARENT | NOCACHE);
 	nfsvno_setpathbuf(&named, &bufp, &hashp);
 	error = nfsrv_parsename(nd, bufp, hashp, &named.ni_pathlen);
 	if (!error && !nd->nd_repstat)
@@ -3018,10 +3016,10 @@
 		}
 		if (create == NFSV4OPEN_CREATE)
 		    NFSNAMEICNDSET(&named.ni_cnd, nd->nd_cred, CREATE,
-			LOCKPARENT | LOCKLEAF | SAVESTART | NOCACHE);
+			LOCKPARENT | LOCKLEAF | NOCACHE);
 		else
 		    NFSNAMEICNDSET(&named.ni_cnd, nd->nd_cred, LOOKUP,
-			LOCKLEAF | SAVESTART);
+			LOCKLEAF);
 		nfsvno_setpathbuf(&named, &bufp, &hashp);
 		error = nfsrv_parsename(nd, bufp, hashp, &named.ni_pathlen);
 		if (error) {
@@ -3687,7 +3685,7 @@
 	 * All this just to get the export flags for the name.
 	 */
 	NFSNAMEICNDSET(&named.ni_cnd, nd->nd_cred, LOOKUP,
-	    LOCKLEAF | SAVESTART);
+	    LOCKLEAF);
 	nfsvno_setpathbuf(&named, &bufp, &hashp);
 	error = nfsrv_parsename(nd, bufp, hashp, &named.ni_pathlen);
 	if (error) {
@@ -3705,7 +3703,6 @@
 		vrele(dirp);
 	if (nd->nd_repstat)
 		goto out;
-	vrele(named.ni_startdir);
 	nfsvno_relpathbuf(&named);
 	fh.nfsrvfh_len = NFSX_MYFH;
 	vp = named.ni_vp;
@@ -3826,7 +3823,7 @@
 			goto nfsmout;
 		}
 		NFSNAMEICNDSET(&named.ni_cnd, nd->nd_cred, LOOKUP,
-		    LOCKLEAF | SAVESTART);
+		    LOCKLEAF);
 		nfsvno_setpathbuf(&named, &bufp, &hashp);
 		error = nfsrv_parsename(nd, bufp, hashp, &named.ni_pathlen);
 		if (error != 0) {
@@ -3840,7 +3837,6 @@
 			vput(dp);
 		if (dirp != NULL)
 			vrele(dirp);
-		vrele(named.ni_startdir);
 		nfsvno_relpathbuf(&named);
 		vp = named.ni_vp;
 		break;