diff --git a/sys/fs/devfs/devfs_vnops.c b/sys/fs/devfs/devfs_vnops.c
index a05299a8e703..1e3f5e844864 100644
--- a/sys/fs/devfs/devfs_vnops.c
+++ b/sys/fs/devfs/devfs_vnops.c
@@ -1533,10 +1533,8 @@ devfs_setattr(struct vop_setattr_args *ap)
 	}
 
 	if (vap->va_atime.tv_sec != VNOVAL || vap->va_mtime.tv_sec != VNOVAL) {
-		/* See the comment in ufs_vnops::ufs_setattr(). */
-		if ((error = VOP_ACCESS(vp, VADMIN, ap->a_cred, td)) &&
-		    ((vap->va_vaflags & VA_UTIMES_NULL) == 0 ||
-		    (error = VOP_ACCESS(vp, VWRITE, ap->a_cred, td))))
+		error = vn_utimes_perm(vp, vap, ap->a_cred, td);
+		if (error != 0)
 			return (error);
 		if (vap->va_atime.tv_sec != VNOVAL) {
 			if (vp->v_type == VCHR)
diff --git a/sys/fs/msdosfs/msdosfs_vnops.c b/sys/fs/msdosfs/msdosfs_vnops.c
index 856ec7cbf5ba..622917f5563b 100644
--- a/sys/fs/msdosfs/msdosfs_vnops.c
+++ b/sys/fs/msdosfs/msdosfs_vnops.c
@@ -501,12 +501,9 @@ msdosfs_setattr(ap)
 	if (vap->va_atime.tv_sec != VNOVAL || vap->va_mtime.tv_sec != VNOVAL) {
 		if (vp->v_mount->mnt_flag & MNT_RDONLY)
 			return (EROFS);
-		if (vap->va_vaflags & VA_UTIMES_NULL) {
-			error = VOP_ACCESS(vp, VADMIN, cred, td); 
-			if (error)
-				error = VOP_ACCESS(vp, VWRITE, cred, td);
-		} else
-			error = VOP_ACCESS(vp, VADMIN, cred, td);
+		error = vn_utimes_perm(vp, vap, cred, td);
+		if (error != 0)
+			return (error);
 		if ((pmp->pm_flags & MSDOSFSMNT_NOWIN95) == 0 &&
 		    vap->va_atime.tv_sec != VNOVAL) {
 			dep->de_flag &= ~DE_ACCESS;
diff --git a/sys/fs/tmpfs/tmpfs.h b/sys/fs/tmpfs/tmpfs.h
index 196749ba1015..8c618e0d0a35 100644
--- a/sys/fs/tmpfs/tmpfs.h
+++ b/sys/fs/tmpfs/tmpfs.h
@@ -425,8 +425,8 @@ int	tmpfs_chmod(struct vnode *, mode_t, struct ucred *, struct thread *);
 int	tmpfs_chown(struct vnode *, uid_t, gid_t, struct ucred *,
 	    struct thread *);
 int	tmpfs_chsize(struct vnode *, u_quad_t, struct ucred *, struct thread *);
-int	tmpfs_chtimes(struct vnode *, struct timespec *, struct timespec *,
-	    struct timespec *, int, struct ucred *, struct thread *);
+int	tmpfs_chtimes(struct vnode *, struct vattr *, struct ucred *cred,
+	    struct thread *);
 void	tmpfs_itimes(struct vnode *, const struct timespec *,
 	    const struct timespec *);
 
diff --git a/sys/fs/tmpfs/tmpfs_subr.c b/sys/fs/tmpfs/tmpfs_subr.c
index b32ec7b195fa..f03ac2408beb 100644
--- a/sys/fs/tmpfs/tmpfs_subr.c
+++ b/sys/fs/tmpfs/tmpfs_subr.c
@@ -1677,8 +1677,8 @@ tmpfs_chsize(struct vnode *vp, u_quad_t size, struct ucred *cred,
  * The vnode must be locked on entry and remain locked on exit.
  */
 int
-tmpfs_chtimes(struct vnode *vp, struct timespec *atime, struct timespec *mtime,
-	struct timespec *birthtime, int vaflags, struct ucred *cred, struct thread *l)
+tmpfs_chtimes(struct vnode *vp, struct vattr *vap,
+    struct ucred *cred, struct thread *l)
 {
 	int error;
 	struct tmpfs_node *node;
@@ -1695,29 +1695,25 @@ tmpfs_chtimes(struct vnode *vp, struct timespec *atime, struct timespec *mtime,
 	if (node->tn_flags & (IMMUTABLE | APPEND))
 		return EPERM;
 
-	/* Determine if the user have proper privilege to update time. */
-	if (vaflags & VA_UTIMES_NULL) {
-		error = VOP_ACCESS(vp, VADMIN, cred, l);
-		if (error)
-			error = VOP_ACCESS(vp, VWRITE, cred, l);
-	} else
-		error = VOP_ACCESS(vp, VADMIN, cred, l);
-	if (error)
+	error = vn_utimes_perm(vp, vap, cred, l);
+	if (error != 0)
 		return (error);
 
-	if (atime->tv_sec != VNOVAL && atime->tv_nsec != VNOVAL)
+	if (vap->va_atime.tv_sec != VNOVAL && vap->va_atime.tv_nsec != VNOVAL)
 		node->tn_status |= TMPFS_NODE_ACCESSED;
 
-	if (mtime->tv_sec != VNOVAL && mtime->tv_nsec != VNOVAL)
+	if (vap->va_mtime.tv_sec != VNOVAL && vap->va_mtime.tv_nsec != VNOVAL)
 		node->tn_status |= TMPFS_NODE_MODIFIED;
 
-	if (birthtime->tv_nsec != VNOVAL && birthtime->tv_nsec != VNOVAL)
+	if (vap->va_birthtime.tv_nsec != VNOVAL &&
+	    vap->va_birthtime.tv_nsec != VNOVAL)
 		node->tn_status |= TMPFS_NODE_MODIFIED;
 
-	tmpfs_itimes(vp, atime, mtime);
+	tmpfs_itimes(vp, &vap->va_atime, &vap->va_mtime);
 
-	if (birthtime->tv_nsec != VNOVAL && birthtime->tv_nsec != VNOVAL)
-		node->tn_birthtime = *birthtime;
+	if (vap->va_birthtime.tv_nsec != VNOVAL &&
+	    vap->va_birthtime.tv_nsec != VNOVAL)
+		node->tn_birthtime = vap->va_birthtime;
 	MPASS(VOP_ISLOCKED(vp));
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/sys/fs/tmpfs/tmpfs_vnops.c b/sys/fs/tmpfs/tmpfs_vnops.c
index 7f74f2058706..8af77551d968 100644
--- a/sys/fs/tmpfs/tmpfs_vnops.c
+++ b/sys/fs/tmpfs/tmpfs_vnops.c
@@ -378,10 +378,6 @@ tmpfs_getattr(struct vop_getattr_args *v)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-/* --------------------------------------------------------------------- */
-
-/* XXX Should this operation be atomic?  I think it should, but code in
- * XXX other places (e.g., ufs) doesn't seem to be... */
 int
 tmpfs_setattr(struct vop_setattr_args *v)
 {
@@ -425,8 +421,7 @@ tmpfs_setattr(struct vop_setattr_args *v)
 	    vap->va_mtime.tv_nsec != VNOVAL) ||
 	    (vap->va_birthtime.tv_sec != VNOVAL &&
 	    vap->va_birthtime.tv_nsec != VNOVAL)))
-		error = tmpfs_chtimes(vp, &vap->va_atime, &vap->va_mtime,
-			&vap->va_birthtime, vap->va_vaflags, cred, td);
+		error = tmpfs_chtimes(vp, vap, cred, td);
 
 	/* Update the node times.  We give preference to the error codes
 	 * generated by this function rather than the ones that may arise
diff --git a/sys/kern/vfs_vnops.c b/sys/kern/vfs_vnops.c
index 7d5cea008d2c..d97e56f8a47e 100644
--- a/sys/kern/vfs_vnops.c
+++ b/sys/kern/vfs_vnops.c
@@ -2170,3 +2170,27 @@ vn_seek(struct file *fp, off_t offset, int whence, struct thread *td)
 	foffset_unlock(fp, offset, error != 0 ? FOF_NOUPDATE : 0);
 	return (error);
 }
+
+int
+vn_utimes_perm(struct vnode *vp, struct vattr *vap, struct ucred *cred,
+    struct thread *td)
+{
+	int error;
+
+	error = VOP_ACCESSX(vp, VWRITE_ATTRIBUTES, cred, td);
+
+	/*
+	 * From utimes(2):
+	 * Grant permission if the caller is the owner of the file or
+	 * the super-user.  If the time pointer is null, then write
+	 * permission on the file is also sufficient.
+	 *
+	 * From NFSv4.1, draft 21, 6.2.1.3.1, Discussion of Mask Attributes:
+	 * A user having ACL_WRITE_DATA or ACL_WRITE_ATTRIBUTES
+	 * will be allowed to set the times [..] to the current
+	 * server time.
+	 */
+	if (error != 0 && (vap->va_vaflags & VA_UTIMES_NULL) != 0)
+		error = VOP_ACCESS(vp, VWRITE, cred, td);
+	return (error);
+}
diff --git a/sys/sys/vnode.h b/sys/sys/vnode.h
index b0cbcc078428..0b2d28086e93 100644
--- a/sys/sys/vnode.h
+++ b/sys/sys/vnode.h
@@ -696,6 +696,8 @@ int	vn_extattr_rm(struct vnode *vp, int ioflg, int attrnamespace,
 	    const char *attrname, struct thread *td);
 int	vn_vget_ino(struct vnode *vp, ino_t ino, int lkflags,
 	    struct vnode **rvp);
+int	vn_utimes_perm(struct vnode *vp, struct vattr *vap,
+	    struct ucred *cred, struct thread *td);
 
 int	vn_io_fault_uiomove(char *data, int xfersize, struct uio *uio);
 int	vn_io_fault_pgmove(vm_page_t ma[], vm_offset_t offset, int xfersize,
diff --git a/sys/ufs/ufs/ufs_vnops.c b/sys/ufs/ufs/ufs_vnops.c
index 56e24a300658..3504f0eb156d 100644
--- a/sys/ufs/ufs/ufs_vnops.c
+++ b/sys/ufs/ufs/ufs_vnops.c
@@ -635,35 +635,8 @@ ufs_setattr(ap)
 			return (EROFS);
 		if ((ip->i_flags & SF_SNAPSHOT) != 0)
 			return (EPERM);
-		/*
-		 * From utimes(2):
-		 * If times is NULL, ... The caller must be the owner of
-		 * the file, have permission to write the file, or be the
-		 * super-user.
-		 * If times is non-NULL, ... The caller must be the owner of
-		 * the file or be the super-user.
-		 *
-		 * Possibly for historical reasons, try to use VADMIN in
-		 * preference to VWRITE for a NULL timestamp.  This means we
-		 * will return EACCES in preference to EPERM if neither
-		 * check succeeds.
-		 */
-		if (vap->va_vaflags & VA_UTIMES_NULL) {
-			/*
-			 * NFSv4.1, draft 21, 6.2.1.3.1, Discussion of Mask Attributes
-			 *
-			 * "A user having ACL_WRITE_DATA or ACL_WRITE_ATTRIBUTES
-			 * will be allowed to set the times [..] to the current
-			 * server time."
-			 *
-			 * XXX: Calling it four times seems a little excessive.
-			 */
-			error = VOP_ACCESSX(vp, VWRITE_ATTRIBUTES, cred, td);
-			if (error)
-				error = VOP_ACCESS(vp, VWRITE, cred, td);
-		} else
-			error = VOP_ACCESSX(vp, VWRITE_ATTRIBUTES, cred, td);
-		if (error)
+		error = vn_utimes_perm(vp, vap, cred, td);
+		if (error != 0)
 			return (error);
 		if (vap->va_atime.tv_sec != VNOVAL)
 			ip->i_flag |= IN_ACCESS;