diff --git a/sys/ddb/db_command.c b/sys/ddb/db_command.c
--- a/sys/ddb/db_command.c
+++ b/sys/ddb/db_command.c
@@ -580,6 +580,7 @@
 	    db_printf("%s", s);
 	db_flush_lex();
 	kdb_reenter_silent();
+	panic("%s: did not reenter debugger", __func__);
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/sys/ddb/ddb.h b/sys/ddb/ddb.h
--- a/sys/ddb/ddb.h
+++ b/sys/ddb/ddb.h
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@
 void		db_clear_watchpoints(void);
 db_addr_t	db_disasm(db_addr_t loc, bool altfmt);
 				/* instruction disassembler */
-void		db_error(const char *s);
+void		db_error(const char *s) __dead2;
 int		db_expression(db_expr_t *valuep);
 int		db_getc(void);
 int		db_get_variable(db_expr_t *valuep);