diff --git a/lib/libc/stdlib/realpath.c b/lib/libc/stdlib/realpath.c
--- a/lib/libc/stdlib/realpath.c
+++ b/lib/libc/stdlib/realpath.c
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@
 char *
 __ssp_real(realpath)(const char * __restrict path, char * __restrict resolved)
 {
-	char *m, *res;
+	char *m = NULL, *res = NULL;
 
 	if (path == NULL) {
 		errno = EINVAL;
@@ -222,17 +222,14 @@
 		errno = ENOENT;
 		return (NULL);
 	}
-	if (resolved != NULL) {
-		m = NULL;
-	} else {
-		m = resolved = malloc(PATH_MAX);
-		if (resolved == NULL)
+	if (resolved == NULL) {
+		if ((resolved = m = malloc(PATH_MAX)) == NULL)
 			return (NULL);
 	}
-	if (__sys___realpathat(AT_FDCWD, path, resolved, PATH_MAX, 0) == 0) {
-		return (resolved);
-	}
-	res = realpath1(path, resolved);
+	if (__sys___realpathat(AT_FDCWD, path, resolved, PATH_MAX, 0) == 0)
+		res = resolved;
+	else if (errno == ENOSYS || m == NULL)
+		res = realpath1(path, resolved);
 	if (res == NULL)
 		free(m);
 	return (res);