diff --git a/sys/vm/vm_pageout.c b/sys/vm/vm_pageout.c
--- a/sys/vm/vm_pageout.c
+++ b/sys/vm/vm_pageout.c
@@ -202,6 +202,11 @@
     &vm_page_max_user_wired, 0,
     "system-wide limit to user-wired page count");
 
+static u_int vm_pageout_scan_inactive_run_max = 32;
+SYSCTL_UINT(_vm, OID_AUTO, pageout_scan_inactive_run_max, CTLFLAG_RWTUN,
+    &vm_pageout_scan_inactive_run_max, 0,
+    "consecutive inactive pages to scan under a single object lock");
+
 static u_int isqrt(u_int num);
 static int vm_pageout_launder(struct vm_domain *vmd, int launder,
     bool in_shortfall);
@@ -1426,6 +1431,7 @@
 	vm_object_t object;
 	vm_page_astate_t old, new;
 	int act_delta, addl_page_shortage, starting_page_shortage, refs;
+	u_int run;
 
 	object = NULL;
 	vm_batchqueue_init(&rq);
@@ -1475,6 +1481,7 @@
 				/* The page is being freed by another thread. */
 				continue;
 
+			run = 0;
 			/* Depends on type-stability. */
 			VM_OBJECT_WLOCK(object);
 			if (__predict_false(m->object != object)) {
@@ -1483,6 +1490,7 @@
 				goto reinsert;
 			}
 		}
+		run++;
 
 		if (vm_page_tryxbusy(m) == 0) {
 			/*
@@ -1607,6 +1615,20 @@
 			 * without holding the queue lock.
 			 */
 			m->a.queue = PQ_NONE;
+			if (run >= vm_pageout_scan_inactive_run_max) {
+				/*
+				 * Take a break on the object lock if we've
+				 * been at this for a while with the same
+				 * object.  Do a small amount of work outside
+				 * the lock to give someone else a chance to
+				 * acquire it.
+				 */
+				if (!vm_page_remove(m))
+					panic("%s: not the last reference, "
+					    "m=%p, o=%p", __func__, m, object);
+				VM_OBJECT_WUNLOCK(object);
+				object = NULL;
+			}
 			vm_page_free(m);
 			page_shortage--;
 			continue;