diff --git a/sys/geom/geom_dev.c b/sys/geom/geom_dev.c
index 55abe7496d40..c926e18df088 100644
--- a/sys/geom/geom_dev.c
+++ b/sys/geom/geom_dev.c
@@ -231,7 +231,9 @@ g_dev_ioctl(dev_t dev, u_long cmd, caddr_t data, int fflag, struct thread *td)
 	int i, error;
 	u_int u;
 	struct g_ioctl *gio;
+#if 0
 	struct sbuf *usb, *sb;
+#endif
 
 	gp = dev->si_drv1;
 	cp = dev->si_drv2;
@@ -272,6 +274,7 @@ g_dev_ioctl(dev_t dev, u_long cmd, caddr_t data, int fflag, struct thread *td)
 		if (!error)
 			dev->si_flags |= SI_DUMPDEV;
 		break;
+#if 0
 	case GEOMGETCONF:
 		/* we bogusly pass cp to avoid getting any consumers listed */
 		sb = g_conf_specific(gp2->class, gp2, pp2, cp);
@@ -283,6 +286,7 @@ g_dev_ioctl(dev_t dev, u_long cmd, caddr_t data, int fflag, struct thread *td)
 		if (!error)
 			usb->s_len = sbuf_len(sb);
 		break;
+#endif
 	default:
 		gio = g_malloc(sizeof *gio, M_WAITOK);
 		gio->cmd = cmd;
diff --git a/sys/geom/geom_dump.c b/sys/geom/geom_dump.c
index 311b76df661c..5b298358bc3a 100644
--- a/sys/geom/geom_dump.c
+++ b/sys/geom/geom_dump.c
@@ -99,20 +99,20 @@ g_confdot_class(struct sbuf *sb, struct g_class *mp)
 		g_confdot_geom(sb, gp);
 }
 
-struct sbuf *
-g_confdot(void)
+void
+g_confdot(void *p)
 {
 	struct g_class *mp;
 	struct sbuf *sb;
 
-	sb = sbuf_new(NULL, NULL, 0, SBUF_AUTOEXTEND);
-	sbuf_clear(sb);
+	sb = p;
+	g_topology_assert();
 	sbuf_printf(sb, "digraph geom {\n");
 	LIST_FOREACH(mp, &g_classes, class)
 		g_confdot_class(sb, mp);
 	sbuf_printf(sb, "};\n");
 	sbuf_finish(sb);
-	return (sb);
+	wakeup(p);
 }
 
 
@@ -196,14 +196,12 @@ g_conf_class(struct sbuf *sb, struct g_class *mp, struct g_geom *gp, struct g_pr
 	sbuf_printf(sb, "  </class>\n");
 }
 
-struct sbuf *
-g_conf_specific(struct g_class *mp, struct g_geom *gp, struct g_provider *pp, struct g_consumer *cp)
+void
+g_conf_specific(struct sbuf *sb, struct g_class *mp, struct g_geom *gp, struct g_provider *pp, struct g_consumer *cp)
 {
 	struct g_class *mp2;
-	struct sbuf *sb;
 
-	sb = sbuf_new(NULL, NULL, 0, SBUF_AUTOEXTEND);
-	sbuf_clear(sb);
+	g_topology_assert();
 	sbuf_printf(sb, "<mesh>\n");
 #ifndef _KERNEL
 	sbuf_printf(sb, "  <FreeBSD>%cFreeBSD%c</FreeBSD>\n", '$', '$');
@@ -215,14 +213,14 @@ g_conf_specific(struct g_class *mp, struct g_geom *gp, struct g_provider *pp, st
 	}
 	sbuf_printf(sb, "</mesh>\n");
 	sbuf_finish(sb);
-	return (sb);
 }
 
-struct sbuf *
-g_conf()
+void
+g_confxml(void *p)
 {
 
-	return (g_conf_specific(NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL));
+	g_conf_specific(p, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL);
+	wakeup(p);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/sys/geom/geom_int.h b/sys/geom/geom_int.h
index ecb5170b019a..8f3009828f42 100644
--- a/sys/geom/geom_int.h
+++ b/sys/geom/geom_int.h
@@ -70,9 +70,9 @@ struct g_event {
 };
 
 /* geom_dump.c */
-struct sbuf * g_conf(void);
-struct sbuf * g_conf_specific(struct g_class *mp, struct g_geom *gp, struct g_provider *pp, struct g_consumer *cp);
-struct sbuf * g_confdot(void);
+void g_confxml(void *);
+void g_conf_specific(struct sbuf *sb, struct g_class *mp, struct g_geom *gp, struct g_provider *pp, struct g_consumer *cp);
+void g_confdot(void *);
 
 
 /* geom_event.c */
diff --git a/sys/geom/geom_kern.c b/sys/geom/geom_kern.c
index 71ecbfff5ed7..a0dc742683e5 100644
--- a/sys/geom/geom_kern.c
+++ b/sys/geom/geom_kern.c
@@ -162,39 +162,47 @@ g_init(void)
 }
 
 static int
-sysctl_kern_geom_dotconf(SYSCTL_HANDLER_ARGS)
+sysctl_kern_geom_confdot(SYSCTL_HANDLER_ARGS)
 {
-	int i, error;
+	int error;
 	struct sbuf *sb;
 
-	i = 0;
-	sb = g_confdot();
-	error = sysctl_handle_opaque(oidp, sbuf_data(sb), sbuf_len(sb), req);
+	sb = sbuf_new(NULL, NULL, 0, SBUF_AUTOEXTEND);
+	sbuf_clear(sb);
+	g_call_me(g_confdot, sb);
+	do {
+		tsleep(sb, PZERO, "g_dot", hz);
+	} while(!sbuf_done(sb));
+	error = SYSCTL_OUT(req, sbuf_data(sb), sbuf_len(sb));
 	sbuf_delete(sb);
-	return (error);
+	return error;
 }
-
+ 
 static int
-sysctl_kern_geom_xmlconf(SYSCTL_HANDLER_ARGS)
+sysctl_kern_geom_confxml(SYSCTL_HANDLER_ARGS)
 {
-	int i, error;
+	int error;
 	struct sbuf *sb;
 
-	i = 0;
-	sb = g_conf();
-	error = sysctl_handle_opaque(oidp, sbuf_data(sb), sbuf_len(sb), req);
+	sb = sbuf_new(NULL, NULL, 0, SBUF_AUTOEXTEND);
+	sbuf_clear(sb);
+	g_call_me(g_confxml, sb);
+	do {
+		tsleep(sb, PZERO, "g_xml", hz);
+	} while(!sbuf_done(sb));
+	error = SYSCTL_OUT(req, sbuf_data(sb), sbuf_len(sb));
 	sbuf_delete(sb);
-	return (error);
+	return error;
 }
 
 SYSCTL_NODE(_kern, OID_AUTO, geom, CTLFLAG_RW, 0, "GEOMetry management");
 
-SYSCTL_PROC(_kern_geom, OID_AUTO, xmlconf, CTLTYPE_STRING|CTLFLAG_RD,
-	0, 0, sysctl_kern_geom_xmlconf, "A",
+SYSCTL_PROC(_kern_geom, OID_AUTO, confxml, CTLTYPE_STRING|CTLFLAG_RD,
+	0, 0, sysctl_kern_geom_confxml, "A",
 	"Dump the GEOM config");
 
-SYSCTL_PROC(_kern_geom, OID_AUTO, dotconf, CTLTYPE_STRING|CTLFLAG_RD,
-	0, 0, sysctl_kern_geom_dotconf, "A",
+SYSCTL_PROC(_kern_geom, OID_AUTO, confdot, CTLTYPE_STRING|CTLFLAG_RD,
+	0, 0, sysctl_kern_geom_confdot, "A",
 	"Dump the GEOM config");
 
 SYSCTL_INT(_kern_geom, OID_AUTO, debugflags, CTLTYPE_INT|CTLFLAG_RW,