diff --git a/sys/kern/kern_linker.c b/sys/kern/kern_linker.c
--- a/sys/kern/kern_linker.c
+++ b/sys/kern/kern_linker.c
@@ -516,6 +516,7 @@
 			 */
 			linker_ctf_load_file(lf);
 			EVENTHANDLER_INVOKE(kld_load, lf);
+			lf->flags |= LINKER_FILE_READY;
 			*result = lf;
 			return (0);
 		}
@@ -701,10 +702,12 @@
 	}
 
 	/* Give eventhandlers a chance to prevent the unload. */
-	error = 0;
-	EVENTHANDLER_INVOKE(kld_unload_try, file, &error);
-	if (error != 0)
-		return (EBUSY);
+	if ((file->flags & LINKER_FILE_READY) != 0) {
+		error = 0;
+		EVENTHANDLER_INVOKE(kld_unload_try, file, &error);
+		if (error != 0)
+			return (EBUSY);
+	}
 
 	KLD_DPF(FILE, ("linker_file_unload: file is unloading,"
 	    " informing modules\n"));
@@ -787,8 +790,9 @@
 
 	LINKER_UNLOAD(file);
 
-	EVENTHANDLER_INVOKE(kld_unload, file->filename, file->address,
-	    file->size);
+	if ((file->flags & LINKER_FILE_READY) != 0)
+		EVENTHANDLER_INVOKE(kld_unload, file->filename, file->address,
+		    file->size);
 
 	if (file->filename) {
 		free(file->filename, M_LINKER);
@@ -1822,7 +1826,7 @@
 		    &si_stop, NULL) == 0)
 			sysinit_add(si_start, si_stop);
 		linker_file_register_sysctls(lf, true);
-		lf->flags |= LINKER_FILE_LINKED;
+		lf->flags |= LINKER_FILE_LINKED | LINKER_FILE_READY;
 		continue;
 fail:
 		TAILQ_REMOVE(&depended_files, lf, loaded);
diff --git a/sys/sys/linker.h b/sys/sys/linker.h
--- a/sys/sys/linker.h
+++ b/sys/sys/linker.h
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@
     int			flags;
 #define LINKER_FILE_LINKED	0x1	/* file has been fully linked */
 #define LINKER_FILE_MODULES	0x2	/* file has >0 modules at preload */
+#define LINKER_FILE_READY	0x4	/* file is fully functional */
     TAILQ_ENTRY(linker_file) link;	/* list of all loaded files */
     char*		filename;	/* file which was loaded */
     char*		pathname;	/* file name with full path */