diff --git a/usr.sbin/makefs/ffs.c b/usr.sbin/makefs/ffs.c
--- a/usr.sbin/makefs/ffs.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/makefs/ffs.c
@@ -1002,7 +1002,6 @@
 		errno = bwrite(bp);
 		if (errno != 0)
 			goto bad_ffs_write_file;
-		brelse(bp);
 		if (!isfile)
 			p += chunk;
 	}
diff --git a/usr.sbin/makefs/ffs/buf.c b/usr.sbin/makefs/ffs/buf.c
--- a/usr.sbin/makefs/ffs/buf.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/makefs/ffs/buf.c
@@ -127,26 +127,31 @@
 {
 	off_t	offset;
 	ssize_t	rv;
+	size_t	bytes;
+	int	e;
 	fsinfo_t *fs = bp->b_fs;
 
 	assert (bp != NULL);
 	offset = (off_t)bp->b_blkno * fs->sectorsize + fs->offset;
+	bytes = (size_t)bp->b_bcount;
 	if (debug & DEBUG_BUF_BWRITE)
-		printf("%s: blkno %lld offset %lld bcount %ld\n", __func__,
-		    (long long)bp->b_blkno, (long long) offset,
-		    bp->b_bcount);
-	if (lseek(bp->b_fs->fd, offset, SEEK_SET) == -1)
+		printf("%s: blkno %lld offset %lld bcount %zu\n", __func__,
+		    (long long)bp->b_blkno, (long long) offset, bytes);
+	if (lseek(bp->b_fs->fd, offset, SEEK_SET) == -1) {
+		brelse(bp);
 		return (errno);
-	rv = write(bp->b_fs->fd, bp->b_data, bp->b_bcount);
+	}
+	rv = write(bp->b_fs->fd, bp->b_data, bytes);
+	e = errno;
 	if (debug & DEBUG_BUF_BWRITE)
 		printf("%s: write %ld (offset %lld) returned %lld\n", __func__,
 		    bp->b_bcount, (long long)offset, (long long)rv);
-	if (rv == bp->b_bcount)
+	brelse(bp);
+	if (rv == (ssize_t)bytes)
 		return (0);
-	else if (rv == -1)		/* write error */
-		return (errno);
-	else				/* short write ? */
-		return (EAGAIN);
+	if (rv == -1)		/* write error */
+		return (e);
+	return (EAGAIN);
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/usr.sbin/makefs/msdos/msdosfs_vnops.c b/usr.sbin/makefs/msdos/msdosfs_vnops.c
--- a/usr.sbin/makefs/msdos/msdosfs_vnops.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/makefs/msdos/msdosfs_vnops.c
@@ -500,7 +500,6 @@
 		cpsize = MIN((nsize - offs), blsize - on);
 		memcpy(bp->b_data + on, dat + offs, cpsize);
 		bwrite(bp);
-		brelse(bp);
 		offs += cpsize;
 	}