diff --git a/sys/kern/uipc_usrreq.c b/sys/kern/uipc_usrreq.c
--- a/sys/kern/uipc_usrreq.c
+++ b/sys/kern/uipc_usrreq.c
@@ -601,7 +601,8 @@
 	if (error)
 		goto error;
 	vp = nd.ni_vp;
-	if (vp != NULL || vn_start_write(nd.ni_dvp, &mp, V_NOWAIT) != 0) {
+	if (vp != NULL || vn_start_write(nd.ni_dvp, &mp, V_NOWAIT |
+	    V_FORXSLEEP) != 0) {
 		NDFREE_PNBUF(&nd);
 		if (nd.ni_dvp == vp)
 			vrele(nd.ni_dvp);
diff --git a/sys/kern/vfs_syscalls.c b/sys/kern/vfs_syscalls.c
--- a/sys/kern/vfs_syscalls.c
+++ b/sys/kern/vfs_syscalls.c
@@ -1386,7 +1386,7 @@
 			panic("kern_mknod: invalid mode");
 		}
 	}
-	if (vn_start_write(nd.ni_dvp, &mp, V_NOWAIT) != 0) {
+	if (vn_start_write(nd.ni_dvp, &mp, V_NOWAIT | V_FORXSLEEP) != 0) {
 		NDFREE_PNBUF(&nd);
 		vput(nd.ni_dvp);
 		if ((error = vn_start_write(NULL, &mp, V_XSLEEP | V_PCATCH)) != 0)
@@ -1473,7 +1473,7 @@
 		vrele(nd.ni_vp);
 		return (EEXIST);
 	}
-	if (vn_start_write(nd.ni_dvp, &mp, V_NOWAIT) != 0) {
+	if (vn_start_write(nd.ni_dvp, &mp, V_NOWAIT | V_FORXSLEEP) != 0) {
 		NDFREE_PNBUF(&nd);
 		vput(nd.ni_dvp);
 		if ((error = vn_start_write(NULL, &mp, V_XSLEEP | V_PCATCH)) != 0)
@@ -1654,7 +1654,7 @@
 				NDFREE_PNBUF(&nd);
 				return (error);
 			}
-			error = vn_start_write(vp, &mp, V_NOWAIT);
+			error = vn_start_write(vp, &mp, V_NOWAIT | V_FORXSLEEP);
 			if (error != 0) {
 				vput(vp);
 				vput(nd.ni_dvp);
@@ -1752,7 +1752,7 @@
 		error = EEXIST;
 		goto out;
 	}
-	if (vn_start_write(nd.ni_dvp, &mp, V_NOWAIT) != 0) {
+	if (vn_start_write(nd.ni_dvp, &mp, V_NOWAIT | V_FORXSLEEP) != 0) {
 		NDFREE_PNBUF(&nd);
 		vput(nd.ni_dvp);
 		if ((error = vn_start_write(NULL, &mp, V_XSLEEP | V_PCATCH)) != 0)
@@ -1817,7 +1817,7 @@
 			vrele(nd.ni_vp);
 		return (EEXIST);
 	}
-	if (vn_start_write(nd.ni_dvp, &mp, V_NOWAIT) != 0) {
+	if (vn_start_write(nd.ni_dvp, &mp, V_NOWAIT | V_FORXSLEEP) != 0) {
 		NDFREE_PNBUF(&nd);
 		vput(nd.ni_dvp);
 		if ((error = vn_start_write(NULL, &mp, V_XSLEEP | V_PCATCH)) != 0)
@@ -1945,7 +1945,8 @@
 			error = EBUSY;
 	}
 	if (error == 0) {
-		if (vn_start_write(nd.ni_dvp, &mp, V_NOWAIT) != 0) {
+		if (vn_start_write(nd.ni_dvp, &mp, V_NOWAIT |
+		    V_FORXSLEEP) != 0) {
 			NDFREE_PNBUF(&nd);
 			vput(nd.ni_dvp);
 			if (vp == nd.ni_dvp)
@@ -3699,7 +3700,7 @@
 	}
 	tdvp = tond.ni_dvp;
 	tvp = tond.ni_vp;
-	error = vn_start_write(fvp, &mp, V_NOWAIT);
+	error = vn_start_write(fvp, &mp, V_NOWAIT | V_FORXSLEEP);
 	if (error != 0) {
 		NDFREE_PNBUF(&fromnd);
 		NDFREE_PNBUF(&tond);
@@ -3828,7 +3829,7 @@
 	    segflg, path, fd, &cap_mkdirat_rights);
 	if ((error = namei(&nd)) != 0)
 		return (error);
-	if (vn_start_write(nd.ni_dvp, &mp, V_NOWAIT) != 0) {
+	if (vn_start_write(nd.ni_dvp, &mp, V_NOWAIT | V_FORXSLEEP) != 0) {
 		NDFREE_PNBUF(&nd);
 		vput(nd.ni_dvp);
 		if ((error = vn_start_write(NULL, &mp, V_XSLEEP | V_PCATCH)) != 0)
@@ -3933,7 +3934,7 @@
 	if (error != 0)
 		goto out;
 #endif
-	if (vn_start_write(nd.ni_dvp, &mp, V_NOWAIT) != 0) {
+	if (vn_start_write(nd.ni_dvp, &mp, V_NOWAIT | V_FORXSLEEP) != 0) {
 		NDFREE_PNBUF(&nd);
 		vput(vp);
 		if (nd.ni_dvp == vp)
diff --git a/sys/kern/vfs_vnops.c b/sys/kern/vfs_vnops.c
--- a/sys/kern/vfs_vnops.c
+++ b/sys/kern/vfs_vnops.c
@@ -267,7 +267,8 @@
 			vap->va_mode = cmode;
 			if (fmode & O_EXCL)
 				vap->va_vaflags |= VA_EXCLUSIVE;
-			if (vn_start_write(ndp->ni_dvp, &mp, V_NOWAIT) != 0) {
+			if (vn_start_write(ndp->ni_dvp, &mp, V_NOWAIT |
+			    V_FORXSLEEP) != 0) {
 				NDFREE_PNBUF(ndp);
 				vput(ndp->ni_dvp);
 				if ((error = vn_start_write(NULL, &mp,
@@ -1848,11 +1849,13 @@
  * suspension is over, and then proceed.
  */
 static int
-vn_start_write_refed(struct mount *mp, int flags, bool mplocked)
+vn_start_write_refed(struct mount **mpp, int flags, bool mplocked)
 {
 	struct mount_pcpu *mpcpu;
+	struct mount *mp;
 	int error, mflags;
 
+	mp = *mpp;
 	if (__predict_true(!mplocked) && (flags & V_XSLEEP) == 0 &&
 	    vfs_op_thread_enter(mp, mpcpu)) {
 		MPASS((mp->mnt_kern_flag & MNTK_SUSPEND) == 0);
@@ -1880,14 +1883,18 @@
 		}
 		mflags |= (PUSER - 1);
 		while ((mp->mnt_kern_flag & MNTK_SUSPEND) != 0) {
-			if (flags & V_NOWAIT) {
+			if ((flags & V_NOWAIT) != 0) {
+				if ((flags & V_FORXSLEEP) == 0)
+					*mpp = NULL;
 				error = EWOULDBLOCK;
 				goto unlock;
 			}
 			error = msleep(&mp->mnt_flag, MNT_MTX(mp), mflags,
 			    "suspfs", 0);
-			if (error)
+			if (error != 0) {
+				*mpp = NULL;
 				goto unlock;
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	if (flags & V_XSLEEP)
@@ -1908,6 +1915,7 @@
 
 	KASSERT((flags & ~V_VALID_FLAGS) == 0,
 	    ("%s: invalid flags passed %d\n", __func__, flags));
+	MPASS((flags & (V_FORXSLEEP | V_NOWAIT)) != V_FORXSLEEP);
 
 	error = 0;
 	/*
@@ -1935,7 +1943,7 @@
 	if (vp == NULL)
 		vfs_ref(mp);
 
-	return (vn_start_write_refed(mp, flags, false));
+	return (vn_start_write_refed(mpp, flags, false));
 }
 
 /*
@@ -1951,7 +1959,7 @@
 	struct mount *mp;
 	int error, mflags;
 
-	KASSERT((flags & ~V_VALID_FLAGS) == 0,
+	KASSERT((flags & (~V_VALID_FLAGS | V_XSLEEP | V_FORXSLEEP)) == 0,
 	    ("%s: invalid flags passed %d\n", __func__, flags));
 
  retry:
@@ -1989,6 +1997,7 @@
 	if (flags & V_NOWAIT) {
 		MNT_REL(mp);
 		MNT_IUNLOCK(mp);
+		*mpp = NULL;
 		return (EWOULDBLOCK);
 	}
 	/*
@@ -2004,6 +2013,7 @@
 	vfs_rel(mp);
 	if (error == 0)
 		goto retry;
+	*mpp = NULL;
 	return (error);
 }
 
@@ -2140,7 +2150,7 @@
 		vfs_op_exit(mp);
 	} else if ((flags & VR_START_WRITE) != 0) {
 		MNT_REF(mp);
-		vn_start_write_refed(mp, 0, true);
+		vn_start_write_refed(&mp, 0, true);
 	} else {
 		MNT_IUNLOCK(mp);
 	}
diff --git a/sys/sys/vnode.h b/sys/sys/vnode.h
--- a/sys/sys/vnode.h
+++ b/sys/sys/vnode.h
@@ -409,7 +409,8 @@
 #define	V_NOWAIT	0x0002	/* vn_start_write: don't sleep for suspend */
 #define	V_XSLEEP	0x0004	/* vn_start_write: just return after sleep */
 #define	V_PCATCH	0x0008	/* vn_start_write: make the sleep interruptible */
-#define	V_VALID_FLAGS (V_WAIT | V_NOWAIT | V_XSLEEP | V_PCATCH)
+#define	V_FORXSLEEP	0x0010	/* vn_start_write: keep *mpp for V_XSLEEP */
+#define	V_VALID_FLAGS (V_WAIT | V_NOWAIT | V_XSLEEP | V_PCATCH | V_FORXSLEEP)
 
 #define	VR_START_WRITE	0x0001	/* vfs_write_resume: start write atomically */
 #define	VR_NO_SUSPCLR	0x0002	/* vfs_write_resume: do not clear suspension */
diff --git a/sys/ufs/ffs/ffs_snapshot.c b/sys/ufs/ffs/ffs_snapshot.c
--- a/sys/ufs/ffs/ffs_snapshot.c
+++ b/sys/ufs/ffs/ffs_snapshot.c
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@
 	if (wrtmp != mp)
 		panic("ffs_snapshot: mount mismatch");
 	vfs_rel(wrtmp);
-	if (vn_start_write(NULL, &wrtmp, V_NOWAIT) != 0) {
+	if (vn_start_write(NULL, &wrtmp, V_NOWAIT | V_FORXSLEEP) != 0) {
 		NDFREE_PNBUF(&nd);
 		vput(nd.ni_dvp);
 		if ((error = vn_start_write(NULL, &wrtmp,