diff --git a/sys/kern/kern_intr.c b/sys/kern/kern_intr.c
--- a/sys/kern/kern_intr.c
+++ b/sys/kern/kern_intr.c
@@ -1356,9 +1356,9 @@
  *                              handlers as their main argument.
  * Return value:
  * o 0:                         everything ok.
- * o EINVAL:                    stray interrupt.
+ * o non-0:                     stray interrupt, current count.
  */
-int
+u_long
 intr_event_handle(struct intr_event *ie, struct trapframe *frame)
 {
 	struct intr_handler *ih;
@@ -1376,16 +1376,14 @@
 
 	/* An interrupt with no event is a stray interrupt. */
 	if (ie == NULL)
-		return (EINVAL);
+		return (~0UL);
 
 	/* Increment the interrupt counter. */
 	atomic_add_long(&ie->ie_intrcnt, 1);
 
 	/* An interrupt with no handlers is a stray interrupt. */
-	if (CK_SLIST_EMPTY(&ie->ie_handlers)) {
-		atomic_add_long(&ie->ie_stray, 1);
-		return (EINVAL);
-	}
+	if (CK_SLIST_EMPTY(&ie->ie_handlers))
+		return (atomic_fetchadd_long(&ie->ie_stray, 1) + 1);
 
 	/*
 	 * Execute fast interrupt handlers directly.
@@ -1486,10 +1484,8 @@
 	td->td_intr_nesting_level--;
 #ifdef notyet
 	/* The interrupt is not aknowledged by any filter and has no ithread. */
-	if (!thread && !filter) {
-		atomic_add_long(&ie->ie_stray, 1);
-		return (EINVAL);
-	}
+	if (!thread && !filter)
+		return (atomic_fetchadd_long(&ie->ie_stray, 1) + 1);
 #endif
 	return (0);
 }
diff --git a/sys/sys/interrupt.h b/sys/sys/interrupt.h
--- a/sys/sys/interrupt.h
+++ b/sys/sys/interrupt.h
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@
 int	intr_event_describe_handler(struct intr_event *ie, void *cookie,
 	    const char *descr);
 int	intr_event_destroy(struct intr_event *ie);
-int	intr_event_handle(struct intr_event *ie, struct trapframe *frame);
+u_long	intr_event_handle(struct intr_event *ie, struct trapframe *frame);
 int	intr_event_remove_handler(void *cookie);
 int	intr_event_suspend_handler(void *cookie);
 int	intr_event_resume_handler(void *cookie);
diff --git a/sys/x86/x86/intr_machdep.c b/sys/x86/x86/intr_machdep.c
--- a/sys/x86/x86/intr_machdep.c
+++ b/sys/x86/x86/intr_machdep.c
@@ -325,6 +325,7 @@
 {
 	struct intr_event *ie;
 	int vector;
+	u_long strays;
 
 	/*
 	 * We count software interrupts when we process them.  The
@@ -349,12 +350,12 @@
 	 * For stray interrupts, mask and EOI the source, bump the
 	 * stray count, and log the condition.
 	 */
-	if (intr_event_handle(ie, frame) != 0) {
+	if ((strays = intr_event_handle(ie, frame)) != 0) {
 		isrc->is_pic->pic_disable_source(isrc, PIC_EOI);
 		(*isrc->is_straycount)++;
-		if (*isrc->is_straycount < INTR_STRAY_LOG_MAX)
+		if (strays < INTR_STRAY_LOG_MAX)
 			log(LOG_ERR, "stray irq%d\n", vector);
-		else if (*isrc->is_straycount == INTR_STRAY_LOG_MAX)
+		else if (strays == INTR_STRAY_LOG_MAX)
 			log(LOG_CRIT,
 			    "too many stray irq %d's: not logging anymore\n",
 			    vector);