diff --git a/sys/riscv/riscv/pmap.c b/sys/riscv/riscv/pmap.c
--- a/sys/riscv/riscv/pmap.c
+++ b/sys/riscv/riscv/pmap.c
@@ -2913,28 +2913,62 @@
 	PMAP_UNLOCK(pmap);
 }
 
+static bool
+pmap_fault_lookup_unlocked(pmap_t pmap, vm_offset_t va, pt_entry_t **ptep,
+    pt_entry_t *oldptep)
+{
+	pd_entry_t *l2, l2e;
+
+	l2 = pmap_l2(pmap, va);
+	if (l2 == NULL || ((l2e = pmap_load(l2)) & PTE_V) == 0)
+		return (false);
+	if ((l2e & PTE_RWX) == 0) {
+		*ptep = pmap_l2_to_l3(l2, va);
+		if (((*oldptep = pmap_load(*ptep)) & PTE_V) == 0)
+			return (false);
+	} else {
+		*ptep = l2;
+		*oldptep = l2e;
+	}
+	return (true);
+}
+
 int
 pmap_fault(pmap_t pmap, vm_offset_t va, vm_prot_t ftype)
 {
-	pd_entry_t *l2, l2e;
 	pt_entry_t bits, *pte, oldpte;
 	int rv;
 
 	KASSERT(VIRT_IS_VALID(va), ("pmap_fault: invalid va %#lx", va));
 
+	if (pmap == kernel_pmap) {
+		/*
+		 * Perform a lockless lookup using the kernel pmap
+		 * since we might be running in a non-sleepable context.
+		 */
+		if (!pmap_fault_lookup_unlocked(pmap, va, &pte, &oldpte))
+			return (0);
+		if ((oldpte & PTE_KERN) == PTE_KERN) {
+			sfence_vma_page(va);
+			return (1);
+		}
+		/* Only PTE_A is expected to be missing at this point. */
+		KASSERT((oldpte & PTE_KERN) == (PTE_KERN & ~PTE_A),
+		    ("pmap_fault: unexpected bits missing for %#lx: pte: %lx",
+		    va, oldpte));
+		/*
+		 * We've encountered an entry without PTE_A.
+		 * This can happen with pageable memory allocated
+		 * using 'kmap_alloc' (e.g., 'exec_alloc_args').
+		 * Fall back to the locked lookup below since
+		 * we need to update the missing PTE_A bit.
+		 */
+	}
+
 	rv = 0;
 	PMAP_LOCK(pmap);
-	l2 = pmap_l2(pmap, va);
-	if (l2 == NULL || ((l2e = pmap_load(l2)) & PTE_V) == 0)
+	if (!pmap_fault_lookup_unlocked(pmap, va, &pte, &oldpte))
 		goto done;
-	if ((l2e & PTE_RWX) == 0) {
-		pte = pmap_l2_to_l3(l2, va);
-		if (((oldpte = pmap_load(pte)) & PTE_V) == 0)
-			goto done;
-	} else {
-		pte = l2;
-		oldpte = l2e;
-	}
 
 	if ((pmap != kernel_pmap && (oldpte & PTE_U) == 0) ||
 	    (ftype == VM_PROT_WRITE && (oldpte & PTE_W) == 0) ||