diff --git a/sys/kern/kern_descrip.c b/sys/kern/kern_descrip.c
--- a/sys/kern/kern_descrip.c
+++ b/sys/kern/kern_descrip.c
@@ -4194,9 +4194,9 @@
 		if (fdp == NULL)
 			continue;
 		FILEDESC_SLOCK(fdp);
+		if (refcount_load(&fdp->fd_refcnt) == 0)
+			goto nextproc;
 		FILEDESC_FOREACH_FP(fdp, n, fp) {
-			if (refcount_load(&fdp->fd_refcnt) == 0)
-				break;
 			xf.xf_fd = n;
 			xf.xf_file = (uintptr_t)fp;
 			xf.xf_data = (uintptr_t)fp->f_data;
@@ -4207,9 +4207,16 @@
 			xf.xf_offset = foffset_get(fp);
 			xf.xf_flag = fp->f_flag;
 			error = SYSCTL_OUT(req, &xf, sizeof(xf));
-			if (error)
+
+			/*
+			 * There is no need to re-check the fdtable refcount
+			 * here since the filedesc lock is not dropped in the
+			 * loop body.
+			 */
+			if (error != 0)
 				break;
 		}
+nextproc:
 		FILEDESC_SUNLOCK(fdp);
 		fddrop(fdp);
 		if (error)
@@ -4469,9 +4476,9 @@
 	if (pwd != NULL)
 		pwd_drop(pwd);
 	FILEDESC_SLOCK(fdp);
+	if (refcount_load(&fdp->fd_refcnt) == 0)
+		goto skip;
 	FILEDESC_FOREACH_FP(fdp, i, fp) {
-		if (refcount_load(&fdp->fd_refcnt) == 0)
-			break;
 #ifdef CAPABILITIES
 		rights = *cap_rights(fdp, i);
 #else /* !CAPABILITIES */
@@ -4484,9 +4491,10 @@
 		 * loop continues.
 		 */
 		error = export_file_to_sb(fp, i, &rights, efbuf);
-		if (error != 0)
+		if (error != 0 || refcount_load(&fdp->fd_refcnt) == 0)
 			break;
 	}
+skip:
 	FILEDESC_SUNLOCK(fdp);
 fail:
 	if (fdp != NULL)
@@ -4633,18 +4641,19 @@
 	if (pwd != NULL)
 		pwd_drop(pwd);
 	FILEDESC_SLOCK(fdp);
+	if (refcount_load(&fdp->fd_refcnt) == 0)
+		goto skip;
 	FILEDESC_FOREACH_FP(fdp, i, fp) {
-		if (refcount_load(&fdp->fd_refcnt) == 0)
-			break;
 		export_file_to_kinfo(fp, i, NULL, kif, fdp,
 		    KERN_FILEDESC_PACK_KINFO);
 		FILEDESC_SUNLOCK(fdp);
 		kinfo_to_okinfo(kif, okif);
 		error = SYSCTL_OUT(req, okif, sizeof(*okif));
 		FILEDESC_SLOCK(fdp);
-		if (error)
+		if (error != 0 || refcount_load(&fdp->fd_refcnt) == 0)
 			break;
 	}
+skip:
 	FILEDESC_SUNLOCK(fdp);
 	fddrop(fdp);
 	pddrop(pdp);