diff --git a/sys/riscv/riscv/pmap.c b/sys/riscv/riscv/pmap.c
--- a/sys/riscv/riscv/pmap.c
+++ b/sys/riscv/riscv/pmap.c
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@
 static struct rwlock_padalign pvh_global_lock;
 static struct mtx_padalign allpmaps_lock;
 
-static int superpages_enabled = 1;
+static int __read_frequently superpages_enabled = 1;
 SYSCTL_INT(_vm_pmap, OID_AUTO, superpages_enabled,
     CTLFLAG_RDTUN, &superpages_enabled, 0,
     "Enable support for transparent superpages");
@@ -2759,7 +2759,7 @@
 }
 
 #if VM_NRESERVLEVEL > 0
-static void
+static bool
 pmap_promote_l2(pmap_t pmap, pd_entry_t *l2, vm_offset_t va, vm_page_t ml3,
     struct rwlock **lockp)
 {
@@ -2767,6 +2767,8 @@
 	vm_paddr_t pa;
 
 	PMAP_LOCK_ASSERT(pmap, MA_OWNED);
+	if (!pmap_ps_enabled(pmap))
+		return (false);
 
 	KASSERT((pmap_load(l2) & PTE_RWX) == 0,
 	    ("pmap_promote_l2: invalid l2 entry %p", l2));
@@ -2783,7 +2785,7 @@
 		CTR2(KTR_PMAP, "pmap_promote_l2: failure for va %#lx pmap %p",
 		    va, pmap);
 		atomic_add_long(&pmap_l2_p_failures, 1);
-		return;
+		return (false);
 	}
 
 	/*
@@ -2817,7 +2819,7 @@
 			    "pmap_promote_l2: failure for va %#lx pmap %p",
 			    va, pmap);
 			atomic_add_long(&pmap_l2_p_failures, 1);
-			return;
+			return (false);
 		}
 		while ((l3e & (PTE_W | PTE_D)) == PTE_W) {
 			if (atomic_fcmpset_64(l3, &l3e, l3e & ~PTE_W)) {
@@ -2830,7 +2832,7 @@
 			    "pmap_promote_l2: failure for va %#lx pmap %p",
 			    va, pmap);
 			atomic_add_long(&pmap_l2_p_failures, 1);
-			return;
+			return (false);
 		}
 		all_l3e_PTE_A &= l3e;
 		pa -= PAGE_SIZE;
@@ -2857,7 +2859,7 @@
 		CTR2(KTR_PMAP, "pmap_promote_l2: failure for va %#lx pmap %p",
 		    va, pmap);
 		atomic_add_long(&pmap_l2_p_failures, 1);
-		return;
+		return (false);
 	}
 
 	if ((firstl3e & PTE_SW_MANAGED) != 0)
@@ -2868,6 +2870,7 @@
 	atomic_add_long(&pmap_l2_promotions, 1);
 	CTR2(KTR_PMAP, "pmap_promote_l2: success for va %#lx in pmap %p", va,
 	    pmap);
+	return (true);
 }
 #endif
 
@@ -3133,10 +3136,9 @@
 
 #if VM_NRESERVLEVEL > 0
 	if (mpte != NULL && mpte->ref_count == Ln_ENTRIES &&
-	    pmap_ps_enabled(pmap) &&
 	    (m->flags & PG_FICTITIOUS) == 0 &&
 	    vm_reserv_level_iffullpop(m) == 0)
-		pmap_promote_l2(pmap, l2, va, mpte, &lock);
+		(void)pmap_promote_l2(pmap, l2, va, mpte, &lock);
 #endif
 
 	rv = KERN_SUCCESS;