diff --git a/sys/fs/fuse/fuse_node.c b/sys/fs/fuse/fuse_node.c
--- a/sys/fs/fuse/fuse_node.c
+++ b/sys/fs/fuse/fuse_node.c
@@ -157,8 +157,7 @@
 	LIST_INIT(&fvdat->handles);
 
 	vattr_null(&fvdat->cached_attrs);
-	fvdat->cached_attrs.va_birthtime.tv_sec = -1;
-	fvdat->cached_attrs.va_birthtime.tv_nsec = 0;
+	VA_NOTIME(&fvdat->cached_attrs.va_birthtime);
 	fvdat->cached_attrs.va_fsid = VNOVAL;
 	fvdat->cached_attrs.va_gen = 0;
 	fvdat->cached_attrs.va_rdev = NODEV;
diff --git a/sys/fs/msdosfs/msdosfs_vnops.c b/sys/fs/msdosfs/msdosfs_vnops.c
--- a/sys/fs/msdosfs/msdosfs_vnops.c
+++ b/sys/fs/msdosfs/msdosfs_vnops.c
@@ -298,8 +298,7 @@
 		    0, &vap->va_birthtime);
 	} else {
 		vap->va_atime = vap->va_mtime;
-		vap->va_birthtime.tv_sec = -1;
-		vap->va_birthtime.tv_nsec = 0;
+		VA_NOTIME(&vap->va_birthtime);
 	}
 	vap->va_flags = 0;
 	if (dep->de_Attributes & ATTR_ARCHIVE)
diff --git a/sys/fs/nfs/nfs_commonsubs.c b/sys/fs/nfs/nfs_commonsubs.c
--- a/sys/fs/nfs/nfs_commonsubs.c
+++ b/sys/fs/nfs/nfs_commonsubs.c
@@ -1321,8 +1321,7 @@
 			nap->na_rdev = (NFSDEV_T)0;
 			nap->na_mtime.tv_sec = 0;
 			nap->na_mtime.tv_nsec = 0;
-			nap->na_btime.tv_sec = -1;
-			nap->na_btime.tv_nsec = 0;
+			VA_NOTIME(&nap->na_btime);
 			nap->na_gen = 0;
 			nap->na_flags = 0;
 			nap->na_blocksize = NFS_FABLKSIZE;
diff --git a/sys/fs/nfsclient/nfs_clcomsubs.c b/sys/fs/nfsclient/nfs_clcomsubs.c
--- a/sys/fs/nfsclient/nfs_clcomsubs.c
+++ b/sys/fs/nfsclient/nfs_clcomsubs.c
@@ -289,8 +289,7 @@
 		fxdr_nfsv3time(&fp->fa3_atime, &nap->na_atime);
 		fxdr_nfsv3time(&fp->fa3_ctime, &nap->na_ctime);
 		fxdr_nfsv3time(&fp->fa3_mtime, &nap->na_mtime);
-		nap->na_btime.tv_sec = -1;
-		nap->na_btime.tv_nsec = 0;
+		VA_NOTIME(&nap->na_btime);
 		nap->na_flags = 0;
 		nap->na_gen = 0;
 		nap->na_filerev = 0;
@@ -322,8 +321,7 @@
 		nap->na_ctime.tv_sec = fxdr_unsigned(u_int32_t,
 		    fp->fa2_ctime.nfsv2_sec);
 		nap->na_ctime.tv_nsec = 0;
-		nap->na_btime.tv_sec = -1;
-		nap->na_btime.tv_nsec = 0;
+		VA_NOTIME(&nap->na_btime);
 		nap->na_gen = fxdr_unsigned(u_int32_t,fp->fa2_ctime.nfsv2_usec);
 		nap->na_filerev = 0;
 	}
diff --git a/sys/kern/vfs_default.c b/sys/kern/vfs_default.c
--- a/sys/kern/vfs_default.c
+++ b/sys/kern/vfs_default.c
@@ -1506,8 +1506,7 @@
 	 * systems which don't support these fields don't need to know
 	 * about them.
 	 */
-	vap->va_birthtime.tv_sec = -1;
-	vap->va_birthtime.tv_nsec = 0;
+	VA_NOTIME(&vap->va_birthtime);
 	vap->va_fsid = VNOVAL;
 	vap->va_gen = 0;
 	vap->va_rdev = NODEV;
diff --git a/sys/sys/vnode.h b/sys/sys/vnode.h
--- a/sys/sys/vnode.h
+++ b/sys/sys/vnode.h
@@ -384,6 +384,14 @@
  */
 #define	VNOVAL	(-1)
 
+/*
+ * Initialize a vnode timestamp to "invalid"
+ */
+#define VA_NOTIME(ts) { \
+	(ts)->tv_sec = -1; \
+	(ts)->tv_nsec = 0; \
+}
+
 /*
  * LK_TIMELOCK timeout for vnode locks (used mainly by the pageout daemon)
  */
diff --git a/sys/ufs/ufs/ufs_vnops.c b/sys/ufs/ufs/ufs_vnops.c
--- a/sys/ufs/ufs/ufs_vnops.c
+++ b/sys/ufs/ufs/ufs_vnops.c
@@ -546,8 +546,7 @@
 		sb->st_mtim.tv_nsec = ip->i_din1->di_mtimensec;
 		sb->st_ctim.tv_sec = ip->i_din1->di_ctime;
 		sb->st_ctim.tv_nsec = ip->i_din1->di_ctimensec;
-		sb->st_birthtim.tv_sec = -1;
-		sb->st_birthtim.tv_nsec = 0;
+		VA_NOTIME(&sb->st_birthtim);
 		sb->st_blocks = dbtob((uint64_t)ip->i_din1->di_blocks) / S_BLKSIZE;
 	} else {
 		sb->st_rdev = ip->i_din2->di_rdev;