diff --git a/sys/kern/kern_descrip.c b/sys/kern/kern_descrip.c
--- a/sys/kern/kern_descrip.c
+++ b/sys/kern/kern_descrip.c
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@
 #include <sys/sysproto.h>
 #include <sys/unistd.h>
 #include <sys/user.h>
+#include <sys/vmmeter.h>
 #include <sys/vnode.h>
 #include <sys/ktrace.h>
 
@@ -5193,8 +5194,59 @@
     CTLFLAG_RWTUN | CTLFLAG_NOFETCH,
     &maxfilesperproc, 0, "Maximum files allowed open per process");
 
-SYSCTL_INT(_kern, KERN_MAXFILES, maxfiles, CTLFLAG_RWTUN | CTLFLAG_NOFETCH,
-    &maxfiles, 0, "Maximum number of files");
+
+static u_int vnodes_to_files_leeway = 1000;
+
+SYSCTL_UINT(_debug, OID_AUTO, vnodes_to_files_leeway,
+    CTLFLAG_RWTUN | CTLFLAG_NOFETCH,
+    &vnodes_to_files_leeway, 0, "Vnodes reserved in excess of 'kern.maxfiles'");
+
+void
+clamp_and_set_maxfiles(int maxfiles_cand, vm_size_t pages)
+{
+	const vm_size_t maxfiles_clamp = pgtok(pages) / (1024 / 64);
+	const u_int leeway = vnodes_to_files_leeway;
+	int new_maxfiles = maxfiles_cand;
+
+	/* 'desiredvnodes' is 0 at boot as 'maxfiles' is set before. */
+	if (desiredvnodes != 0 && new_maxfiles + leeway > desiredvnodes) {
+		if (bootverbose)
+			printf("kern.maxfiles cannot exceed kern.maxvnodes, ");
+		new_maxfiles = imin(desiredvnodes, desiredvnodes - leeway);
+	}
+
+	if (new_maxfiles > maxfiles_clamp) {
+		if (bootverbose)
+			printf("kern.maxfiles cannot exceed 64 files per MB, ");
+		new_maxfiles = maxfiles_clamp;
+	}
+
+	if (maxfiles_cand > new_maxfiles) {
+		if (bootverbose)
+			printf("clamping to %d\n", new_maxfiles);
+		maxfiles_cand = new_maxfiles;
+	}
+
+	maxfiles = maxfiles_cand;
+}
+
+static int
+sysctl_maxfiles(SYSCTL_HANDLER_ARGS)
+{
+	int error;
+	int tmp_maxfiles = maxfiles;
+
+	error = sysctl_handle_int(oidp, &tmp_maxfiles, 0, req);
+	if (error != 0)
+		return (error);
+
+	if (req->newptr != NULL)
+		clamp_and_set_maxfiles(tmp_maxfiles, vm_cnt.v_page_count);
+	return (error);
+}
+
+SYSCTL_PROC(_kern, KERN_MAXFILES, maxfiles, CTLTYPE_INT | CTLFLAG_RWTUN |
+    CTLFLAG_NOFETCH, NULL, 0, &sysctl_maxfiles, "I", "Maximum number of files");
 
 SYSCTL_INT(_kern, OID_AUTO, openfiles, CTLFLAG_RD,
     &openfiles, 0, "System-wide number of open files");
diff --git a/sys/kern/subr_param.c b/sys/kern/subr_param.c
--- a/sys/kern/subr_param.c
+++ b/sys/kern/subr_param.c
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 #include <sys/_maxphys.h>
 #include <sys/systm.h>
 #include <sys/buf.h>
+#include <sys/file.h>
 #include <sys/kernel.h>
 #include <sys/limits.h>
 #include <sys/msgbuf.h>
@@ -327,12 +328,7 @@
 	 */
 	maxfiles = imax(MAXFILES, pgtok(physpages) / (1024 / 32));
 	TUNABLE_INT_FETCH("kern.maxfiles", &maxfiles);
-	{
-		const long maxfiles_clamp = pgtok(physpages) / (1024 / 64);
-
-		if (maxfiles > maxfiles_clamp)
-			maxfiles = maxfiles_clamp;
-	}
+	clamp_and_set_maxfiles(maxfiles, physpages);
 	maxfilesperproc = (maxfiles / 10) * 9;
 	TUNABLE_INT_FETCH("kern.maxfilesperproc", &maxfilesperproc);
 
diff --git a/sys/kern/vfs_subr.c b/sys/kern/vfs_subr.c
--- a/sys/kern/vfs_subr.c
+++ b/sys/kern/vfs_subr.c
@@ -364,6 +364,7 @@
 	wantfreevnodes = desiredvnodes / 4;
 	vnlru_recalc();
 	mtx_unlock(&vnode_list_mtx);
+	clamp_and_set_maxfiles(maxfiles, vm_cnt.v_page_count);
 	/*
 	 * XXX There is no protection against multiple threads changing
 	 * desiredvnodes at the same time. Locking above only helps vnlru and
@@ -778,6 +779,7 @@
 			    desiredvnodes, MAXVNODES_MAX);
 		desiredvnodes = MAXVNODES_MAX;
 	}
+	clamp_and_set_maxfiles(maxfiles, vm_cnt.v_page_count);
 	wantfreevnodes = desiredvnodes / 4;
 	mtx_init(&mntid_mtx, "mntid", NULL, MTX_DEF);
 	TAILQ_INIT(&vnode_list);
diff --git a/sys/sys/file.h b/sys/sys/file.h
--- a/sys/sys/file.h
+++ b/sys/sys/file.h
@@ -258,6 +258,8 @@
 extern int maxfiles;		/* kernel limit on number of open files */
 extern int maxfilesperproc;	/* per process limit on number of open files */
 
+void clamp_and_set_maxfiles(int maxfiles_cand, vm_size_t pages);
+
 int fget(struct thread *td, int fd, cap_rights_t *rightsp, struct file **fpp);
 int fget_mmap(struct thread *td, int fd, cap_rights_t *rightsp,
     vm_prot_t *maxprotp, struct file **fpp);