diff --git a/sys/arm/arm/machdep.c b/sys/arm/arm/machdep.c
--- a/sys/arm/arm/machdep.c
+++ b/sys/arm/arm/machdep.c
@@ -380,6 +380,7 @@
 	thread0.td_pcb->pcb_fpflags = 0;
 	thread0.td_pcb->pcb_vfpcpu = -1;
 	thread0.td_pcb->pcb_vfpstate.fpscr = VFPSCR_DN;
+	thread0.td_pcb->pcb_vfpsaved = &thread0.td_pcb->pcb_vfpstate;
 	thread0.td_frame = &proc0_tf;
 	pcpup->pc_curpcb = thread0.td_pcb;
 }
diff --git a/sys/arm/arm/vfp.c b/sys/arm/arm/vfp.c
--- a/sys/arm/arm/vfp.c
+++ b/sys/arm/arm/vfp.c
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 #ifdef VFP
 #include <sys/param.h>
 #include <sys/systm.h>
+#include <sys/limits.h>
 #include <sys/proc.h>
 #include <sys/imgact_elf.h>
 #include <sys/kernel.h>
@@ -251,17 +252,45 @@
 	curpcb = curthread->td_pcb;
 	cpu = PCPU_GET(cpuid);
 	if (curpcb->pcb_vfpcpu != cpu || curthread != PCPU_GET(fpcurthread)) {
-		if (curpcb->pcb_vfpsaved == NULL)
-			curpcb->pcb_vfpsaved = &curpcb->pcb_vfpstate;
 		vfp_restore(curpcb->pcb_vfpsaved);
 		curpcb->pcb_vfpcpu = cpu;
 		PCPU_SET(fpcurthread, curthread);
 	}
 
 	critical_exit();
+
+	KASSERT(curpcb->pcb_vfpsaved == &curpcb->pcb_vfpstate,
+	    ("Kernel VFP state in use when entering userspace"));
+
 	return (0);
 }
 
+/*
+ * Update the VFP state for a forked process or new thread. The PCB will
+ * have been copied from the old thread.
+ * The code is heavily based on arm64 logic.
+ */
+void
+vfp_new_thread(struct thread *newtd, struct thread *oldtd, bool fork)
+{
+	struct pcb *newpcb;
+
+	newpcb = newtd->td_pcb;
+
+	/* Kernel threads start with clean VFP */
+	if ((oldtd->td_pflags & TDP_KTHREAD) != 0) {
+		newpcb->pcb_fpflags &=
+		    ~(PCB_FP_STARTED | PCB_FP_KERN | PCB_FP_NOSAVE);
+	} else {
+		MPASS((newpcb->pcb_fpflags & (PCB_FP_KERN|PCB_FP_NOSAVE)) == 0);
+		if (!fork) {
+			newpcb->pcb_fpflags &= ~PCB_FP_STARTED;
+		}
+	}
+
+	newpcb->pcb_vfpsaved = &newpcb->pcb_vfpstate;
+	newpcb->pcb_vfpcpu = UINT_MAX;
+}
 /*
  * Restore the given state to the VFP hardware.
  */
diff --git a/sys/arm/arm/vm_machdep.c b/sys/arm/arm/vm_machdep.c
--- a/sys/arm/arm/vm_machdep.c
+++ b/sys/arm/arm/vm_machdep.c
@@ -137,9 +137,9 @@
 	pcb2->pcb_regs.sf_sp = STACKALIGN(td2->td_frame);
 	pcb2->pcb_regs.sf_tpidrurw = (register_t)get_tls();
 
-	pcb2->pcb_vfpcpu = -1;
-	pcb2->pcb_vfpsaved = &pcb2->pcb_vfpstate;
-	pcb2->pcb_vfpstate.fpscr = initial_fpscr;
+#ifdef VFP
+	vfp_new_thread(td2, td1, true);
+#endif
 
 	tf = td2->td_frame;
 	tf->tf_spsr &= ~PSR_C;
@@ -216,6 +216,10 @@
 	td->td_frame->tf_spsr &= ~PSR_C;
 	td->td_frame->tf_r0 = 0;
 
+#ifdef VFP
+	vfp_new_thread(td, td0, false);
+#endif
+
 	/* Setup to release spin count in fork_exit(). */
 	td->td_md.md_spinlock_count = 1;
 	td->td_md.md_saved_cspr = PSR_SVC32_MODE;
diff --git a/sys/arm/include/vfp.h b/sys/arm/include/vfp.h
--- a/sys/arm/include/vfp.h
+++ b/sys/arm/include/vfp.h
@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@
 void	get_vfpcontext(struct thread *, mcontext_vfp_t *);
 void	set_vfpcontext(struct thread *, mcontext_vfp_t *);
 void    vfp_init(void);
+void	vfp_new_thread(struct thread*, struct thread*, bool);
 void    vfp_store(struct vfp_state *, boolean_t);
 void    vfp_discard(struct thread *);
 void	vfp_restore_state(void);