diff --git a/sys/kern/vfs_extattr.c b/sys/kern/vfs_extattr.c
index 85fc839aaae7..700a70c2c5e8 100644
--- a/sys/kern/vfs_extattr.c
+++ b/sys/kern/vfs_extattr.c
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ extattr_get_vp(struct vnode *vp, int attrnamespace, const char *attrname,
 	size_t size, *sizep;
 	int error;
 
-	vn_lock(vp, LK_EXCLUSIVE | LK_RETRY);
+	vn_lock(vp, LK_SHARED | LK_RETRY);
 
 	/*
 	 * Slightly unusual semantics: if the user provides a NULL data
diff --git a/sys/kern/vfs_vnops.c b/sys/kern/vfs_vnops.c
index c8f832f6adad..684973066190 100644
--- a/sys/kern/vfs_vnops.c
+++ b/sys/kern/vfs_vnops.c
@@ -1758,7 +1758,7 @@ vn_extattr_get(struct vnode *vp, int ioflg, int attrnamespace,
 	auio.uio_resid = *buflen;
 
 	if ((ioflg & IO_NODELOCKED) == 0)
-		vn_lock(vp, LK_EXCLUSIVE | LK_RETRY);
+		vn_lock(vp, LK_SHARED | LK_RETRY);
 
 	ASSERT_VOP_LOCKED(vp, "IO_NODELOCKED with no vp lock held");