diff --git a/usr.sbin/makefs/ffs/ffs_alloc.c b/usr.sbin/makefs/ffs/ffs_alloc.c
--- a/usr.sbin/makefs/ffs/ffs_alloc.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/makefs/ffs/ffs_alloc.c
@@ -305,7 +305,6 @@
 	error = bread((void *)ip->i_devvp, fsbtodb(fs, cgtod(fs, cg)),
 	    (int)fs->fs_cgsize, NULL, &bp);
 	if (error) {
-		brelse(bp);
 		return (0);
 	}
 	cgp = (struct cg *)bp->b_data;
@@ -449,7 +448,6 @@
 	error = bread((void *)ip->i_devvp, fsbtodb(fs, cgtod(fs, cg)),
 	    (int)fs->fs_cgsize, NULL, &bp);
 	if (error) {
-		brelse(bp);
 		return;
 	}
 	cgp = (struct cg *)bp->b_data;
diff --git a/usr.sbin/makefs/msdos/msdosfs_lookup.c b/usr.sbin/makefs/msdos/msdosfs_lookup.c
--- a/usr.sbin/makefs/msdos/msdosfs_lookup.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/makefs/msdos/msdosfs_lookup.c
@@ -125,7 +125,6 @@
 		diroffset &= pmp->pm_crbomask;
 	if ((error = bread((void *)pmp->pm_devvp, bn, blsize, NOCRED,
 	    &bp)) != 0) {
-		brelse(bp);
 		return error;
 	}
 	ndep = bptoep(pmp, bp, ddep->de_fndoffset);
@@ -157,7 +156,6 @@
 				error = bread((void *)pmp->pm_devvp, bn, blsize,
 					      NOCRED, &bp);
 				if (error) {
-					brelse(bp);
 					return error;
 				}
 				ndep = bptoep(pmp, bp, ddep->de_fndoffset);
@@ -213,7 +211,6 @@
 	bn = detobn(pmp, dirclust, diroffset);
 	if ((error = bread((void *)pmp->pm_devvp, bn, blsize, NOCRED,
 	    bpp)) != 0) {
-		brelse(*bpp);
 		*bpp = NULL;
 		return (error);
 	}
@@ -274,7 +271,6 @@
 			error = bread((void *)pmp->pm_devvp, bn, blsize,
 			    NOCRED, &bp);
 			if (error) {
-				brelse(bp);
 				return error;
 			}
 			for (dentp = (struct direntry *)bp->b_data;