diff --git a/sys/cddl/contrib/opensolaris/uts/common/fs/zfs/zfs_dir.c b/sys/cddl/contrib/opensolaris/uts/common/fs/zfs/zfs_dir.c
index 66c2713e6312..775697867f62 100644
--- a/sys/cddl/contrib/opensolaris/uts/common/fs/zfs/zfs_dir.c
+++ b/sys/cddl/contrib/opensolaris/uts/common/fs/zfs/zfs_dir.c
@@ -318,20 +318,27 @@ zfs_unlinked_drain(zfsvfs_t *zfsvfs)
 			continue;
 
 		vn_lock(ZTOV(zp), LK_EXCLUSIVE | LK_RETRY);
-		zp->z_unlinked = B_TRUE;
 #if defined(__FreeBSD__)
 		/*
 		 * Due to changes in zfs_rmnode we need to make sure the
 		 * link count is set to zero here.
 		 */
-		zp->z_links = 0;
-		tx = dmu_tx_create(zfsvfs->z_os);
-		dmu_tx_hold_sa(tx, zp->z_sa_hdl, B_FALSE);
-		VERIFY(0 == dmu_tx_assign(tx, TXG_WAIT));
-		VERIFY(0 == sa_update(zp->z_sa_hdl, SA_ZPL_LINKS(zfsvfs),
-		    &zp->z_links, sizeof (zp->z_links), tx));
-		dmu_tx_commit(tx);
+		if (zp->z_links != 0) {
+			tx = dmu_tx_create(zfsvfs->z_os);
+			dmu_tx_hold_sa(tx, zp->z_sa_hdl, B_FALSE);
+			error = dmu_tx_assign(tx, TXG_WAIT);
+			if (error != 0) {
+				dmu_tx_abort(tx);
+				vput(ZTOV(zp));
+				continue;
+			}
+			zp->z_links = 0;
+			VERIFY0(sa_update(zp->z_sa_hdl, SA_ZPL_LINKS(zfsvfs),
+			    &zp->z_links, sizeof (zp->z_links), tx));
+			dmu_tx_commit(tx);
+		}
 #endif
+		zp->z_unlinked = B_TRUE;
 		vput(ZTOV(zp));
 	}
 	zap_cursor_fini(&zc);