diff --git a/lib/libutil/pidfile.c b/lib/libutil/pidfile.c
index 05f8174bb1df..5b7d13083681 100644
--- a/lib/libutil/pidfile.c
+++ b/lib/libutil/pidfile.c
@@ -293,8 +293,11 @@ _pidfile_remove(struct pidfh *pfh, int freeit)
 		return (-1);
 	}
 
-	if (unlinkat(pfh->pf_dirfd, pfh->pf_filename, 0) == -1)
+	if (funlinkat(pfh->pf_dirfd, pfh->pf_filename, pfh->pf_fd, 0) == -1) {
+		if (errno == EDEADLK)
+			return (-1);
 		error = errno;
+	}
 	if (close(pfh->pf_fd) == -1 && error == 0)
 		error = errno;
 	if (close(pfh->pf_dirfd) == -1 && error == 0)