diff --git a/sys/amd64/amd64/pmap.c b/sys/amd64/amd64/pmap.c
--- a/sys/amd64/amd64/pmap.c
+++ b/sys/amd64/amd64/pmap.c
@@ -570,6 +570,11 @@
 static vm_pindex_t pti_pg_idx;
 static bool pti_finalized;
 
+static int __read_frequently pmap_growkernel_panic = 0;
+SYSCTL_INT(_vm_pmap, OID_AUTO, growkernel_panic, CTLFLAG_RDTUN,
+    &pmap_growkernel_panic, 0,
+    "panic on failure to allocate kernel page table page");
+
 struct pmap_pkru_range {
 	struct rs_el	pkru_rs_el;
 	u_int		pkru_keyidx;
@@ -5115,17 +5120,19 @@
 /*
  * grow the number of kernel page table entries, if needed
  */
-void
-pmap_growkernel(vm_offset_t addr)
+static int
+pmap_growkernel_nopanic(vm_offset_t addr)
 {
 	vm_paddr_t paddr;
 	vm_page_t nkpg;
 	pd_entry_t *pde, newpdir;
 	pdp_entry_t *pdpe;
 	vm_offset_t end;
+	int rv;
 
 	TSENTER();
 	mtx_assert(&kernel_map->system_mtx, MA_OWNED);
+	rv = KERN_SUCCESS;
 
 	/*
 	 * The kernel map covers two distinct regions of KVA: that used
@@ -5153,7 +5160,7 @@
 		end = KERNBASE + nkpt * NBPDR;
 		if (end == 0) {
 			TSEXIT();
-			return;
+			return (rv);
 		}
 	} else {
 		end = kernel_vm_end;
@@ -5168,7 +5175,7 @@
 		 * nothing to do.
 		 */
 		TSEXIT();
-		return;
+		return (rv);
 	}
 
 	kasan_shadow_map(end, addr - end);
@@ -5179,8 +5186,12 @@
 			nkpg = pmap_alloc_pt_page(kernel_pmap,
 			    pmap_pdpe_pindex(end), VM_ALLOC_INTERRUPT |
 			        VM_ALLOC_NOFREE | VM_ALLOC_WIRED | VM_ALLOC_ZERO);
-			if (nkpg == NULL)
-				panic("pmap_growkernel: no memory to grow kernel");
+			if (nkpg == NULL) {
+				printf(
+			    "pmap_growkernel: no memory to grow kernel");
+				rv = KERN_RESOURCE_SHORTAGE;
+				break;
+			}
 			paddr = VM_PAGE_TO_PHYS(nkpg);
 			*pdpe = (pdp_entry_t)(paddr | X86_PG_V | X86_PG_RW |
 			    X86_PG_A | X86_PG_M);
@@ -5199,8 +5210,12 @@
 		nkpg = pmap_alloc_pt_page(kernel_pmap, pmap_pde_pindex(end),
 		    VM_ALLOC_INTERRUPT | VM_ALLOC_NOFREE | VM_ALLOC_WIRED |
 			VM_ALLOC_ZERO);
-		if (nkpg == NULL)
-			panic("pmap_growkernel: no memory to grow kernel");
+		if (nkpg == NULL) {
+			printf("pmap_growkernel: no memory to grow kernel");
+			rv = KERN_RESOURCE_SHORTAGE;
+			break;
+		}
+			
 		paddr = VM_PAGE_TO_PHYS(nkpg);
 		newpdir = paddr | X86_PG_V | X86_PG_RW | X86_PG_A | X86_PG_M;
 		pde_store(pde, newpdir);
@@ -5217,8 +5232,21 @@
 	else
 		nkpt = howmany(end - KERNBASE, NBPDR);
 	TSEXIT();
+	return (rv);
 }
 
+int
+pmap_growkernel(vm_offset_t addr)
+{
+	int rv;
+
+	rv = pmap_growkernel_nopanic(addr);
+	if (rv != KERN_SUCCESS && pmap_growkernel_panic)
+		panic("pmap_growkernel: no memory to grow kernel");
+	return (rv);
+}
+
+
 /***************************************************
  * page management routines.
  ***************************************************/
diff --git a/sys/vm/pmap.h b/sys/vm/pmap.h
--- a/sys/vm/pmap.h
+++ b/sys/vm/pmap.h
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@
 vm_paddr_t	 pmap_extract(pmap_t pmap, vm_offset_t va);
 vm_page_t	 pmap_extract_and_hold(pmap_t pmap, vm_offset_t va,
 		    vm_prot_t prot);
-void		 pmap_growkernel(vm_offset_t);
+int		 pmap_growkernel(vm_offset_t);
 void		 pmap_init(void);
 bool		 pmap_is_modified(vm_page_t m);
 bool		 pmap_is_prefaultable(pmap_t pmap, vm_offset_t va);
diff --git a/sys/vm/vm_map.c b/sys/vm/vm_map.c
--- a/sys/vm/vm_map.c
+++ b/sys/vm/vm_map.c
@@ -1709,8 +1709,13 @@
 
 charged:
 	/* Expand the kernel pmap, if necessary. */
-	if (map == kernel_map && end > kernel_vm_end)
-		pmap_growkernel(end);
+	if (map == kernel_map && end > kernel_vm_end) {
+		int rv;
+
+		rv = pmap_growkernel(end);
+		if (rv != KERN_SUCCESS)
+			return (rv);
+	}
 	if (object != NULL) {
 		/*
 		 * OBJ_ONEMAPPING must be cleared unless this mapping