diff --git a/sys/fs/fdescfs/fdesc_vnops.c b/sys/fs/fdescfs/fdesc_vnops.c
--- a/sys/fs/fdescfs/fdesc_vnops.c
+++ b/sys/fs/fdescfs/fdesc_vnops.c
@@ -190,9 +190,8 @@
 	fd->fd_type = ftype;
 	fd->fd_fd = fd_fd;
 	fd->fd_ix = ix;
-	/* Cannot set v_type to VCHR */
-	if (ftype == Fdesc && (fmp->flags & FMNT_LINRDLNKF) != 0)
-		vp->v_type = VLNK;
+	if (ftype == Fdesc && fmp->flags & FMNT_LINRDLNKF)
+		vp->v_vflag |= VV_READLINK;
 	error = insmntque1(vp, mp);
 	if (error != 0) {
 		vgone(vp);
@@ -458,8 +457,7 @@
 		break;
 
 	case Fdesc:
-		vap->va_type = (VFSTOFDESC(vp->v_mount)->flags &
-		    FMNT_LINRDLNKF) == 0 ? VCHR : VLNK;
+		vap->va_type = (vp->v_vflag & VV_READLINK) == 0 ? VCHR : VLNK;
 		vap->va_nlink = 1;
 		vap->va_size = 0;
 		vap->va_rdev = makedev(0, vap->va_fileid);
diff --git a/sys/kern/vfs_subr.c b/sys/kern/vfs_subr.c
--- a/sys/kern/vfs_subr.c
+++ b/sys/kern/vfs_subr.c
@@ -4284,9 +4284,11 @@
 		strlcat(buf, "|VV_MD", sizeof(buf));
 	if (vp->v_vflag & VV_FORCEINSMQ)
 		strlcat(buf, "|VV_FORCEINSMQ", sizeof(buf));
+	if (vp->v_vflag & VV_READLINK)
+		strlcat(buf, "|VV_READLINK", sizeof(buf));
 	flags = vp->v_vflag & ~(VV_ROOT | VV_ISTTY | VV_NOSYNC | VV_ETERNALDEV |
 	    VV_CACHEDLABEL | VV_VMSIZEVNLOCK | VV_COPYONWRITE | VV_SYSTEM |
-	    VV_PROCDEP | VV_DELETED | VV_MD | VV_FORCEINSMQ);
+	    VV_PROCDEP | VV_DELETED | VV_MD | VV_FORCEINSMQ | VV_READLINK);
 	if (flags != 0) {
 		snprintf(buf2, sizeof(buf2), "|VV(0x%lx)", flags);
 		strlcat(buf, buf2, sizeof(buf));
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
@@ -2677,7 +2677,7 @@
 	if (error != 0)
 		return (error);
 #endif
-	if (vp->v_type != VLNK)
+	if (vp->v_type != VLNK && (vp->v_vflag & VV_READLINK) == 0)
 		return (EINVAL);
 
 	aiov.iov_base = buf;
diff --git a/sys/sys/vnode.h b/sys/sys/vnode.h
--- a/sys/sys/vnode.h
+++ b/sys/sys/vnode.h
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@
 #define	VV_DELETED	0x0400	/* should be removed */
 #define	VV_MD		0x0800	/* vnode backs the md device */
 #define	VV_FORCEINSMQ	0x1000	/* force the insmntque to succeed */
-#define	VV_UNUSED01	0x2000	/* was: fdescfs linux vnode */
+#define	VV_READLINK	0x2000	/* fdescfs linux vnode */
 #define	VV_UNREF	0x4000	/* vunref, do not drop lock in inactive() */
 #define	VV_CROSSLOCK	0x8000	/* vnode lock is shared w/ root mounted here */