diff --git a/sbin/mount/mount.c b/sbin/mount/mount.c
index 1be00ec7d26c..075ffcf943d6 100644
--- a/sbin/mount/mount.c
+++ b/sbin/mount/mount.c
@@ -262,6 +262,7 @@ mountfs(vfstype, spec, name, flags, options, mntopts)
 	pid_t pid;
 	int argc, i, status;
 	char *optbuf, execname[MAXPATHLEN + 1], mntpath[MAXPATHLEN];
+	char specpath[MAXPATHLEN];
 
 	if (realpath(name, mntpath) != NULL && stat(mntpath, &sb) == 0) {
 		if (!S_ISDIR(sb.st_mode)) {
@@ -273,6 +274,24 @@ mountfs(vfstype, spec, name, flags, options, mntopts)
 		return (1);
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * The following check is a kludge to prevent the caller from
+	 * accidently using the file as the special device file and
+	 * the mount point.  This will cause a panic due to a recursive
+	 * vnode lock.  After some of the planned reworking of the
+	 * file system code is done, the kernel can be fixed properly
+	 * and this stupid check can be removed.
+	 */
+	if (realpath(spec, specpath) == NULL) {
+		warn("%s", specpath);
+		return (1);
+	}
+	if (strcmp(mntpath, specpath) == 0) {
+		warnx("%s: Special device file and mount point may not be the same",
+		    specpath);
+		return (1);
+	}
+
 	if (mntopts == NULL)
 		mntopts = "";
 
diff --git a/sbin/mount_ifs/mount.c b/sbin/mount_ifs/mount.c
index 1be00ec7d26c..075ffcf943d6 100644
--- a/sbin/mount_ifs/mount.c
+++ b/sbin/mount_ifs/mount.c
@@ -262,6 +262,7 @@ mountfs(vfstype, spec, name, flags, options, mntopts)
 	pid_t pid;
 	int argc, i, status;
 	char *optbuf, execname[MAXPATHLEN + 1], mntpath[MAXPATHLEN];
+	char specpath[MAXPATHLEN];
 
 	if (realpath(name, mntpath) != NULL && stat(mntpath, &sb) == 0) {
 		if (!S_ISDIR(sb.st_mode)) {
@@ -273,6 +274,24 @@ mountfs(vfstype, spec, name, flags, options, mntopts)
 		return (1);
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * The following check is a kludge to prevent the caller from
+	 * accidently using the file as the special device file and
+	 * the mount point.  This will cause a panic due to a recursive
+	 * vnode lock.  After some of the planned reworking of the
+	 * file system code is done, the kernel can be fixed properly
+	 * and this stupid check can be removed.
+	 */
+	if (realpath(spec, specpath) == NULL) {
+		warn("%s", specpath);
+		return (1);
+	}
+	if (strcmp(mntpath, specpath) == 0) {
+		warnx("%s: Special device file and mount point may not be the same",
+		    specpath);
+		return (1);
+	}
+
 	if (mntopts == NULL)
 		mntopts = "";