diff --git a/sys/cddl/contrib/opensolaris/uts/common/fs/zfs/zfs_vnops.c b/sys/cddl/contrib/opensolaris/uts/common/fs/zfs/zfs_vnops.c
index e50db3b05883..58c9d4bdf848 100644
--- a/sys/cddl/contrib/opensolaris/uts/common/fs/zfs/zfs_vnops.c
+++ b/sys/cddl/contrib/opensolaris/uts/common/fs/zfs/zfs_vnops.c
@@ -1929,7 +1929,7 @@ zfs_readdir(vnode_t *vp, uio_t *uio, cred_t *cr, int *eofp, int *ncookies, u_lon
 
 	uio->uio_loffset = offset;
 	ZFS_EXIT(zfsvfs);
-	if (error != 0) {
+	if (error != 0 && *cookies != NULL) {
 		free(*cookies, M_TEMP);
 		*cookies = NULL;
 		*ncookies = 0;
diff --git a/sys/contrib/opensolaris/uts/common/fs/zfs/zfs_vnops.c b/sys/contrib/opensolaris/uts/common/fs/zfs/zfs_vnops.c
index e50db3b05883..58c9d4bdf848 100644
--- a/sys/contrib/opensolaris/uts/common/fs/zfs/zfs_vnops.c
+++ b/sys/contrib/opensolaris/uts/common/fs/zfs/zfs_vnops.c
@@ -1929,7 +1929,7 @@ zfs_readdir(vnode_t *vp, uio_t *uio, cred_t *cr, int *eofp, int *ncookies, u_lon
 
 	uio->uio_loffset = offset;
 	ZFS_EXIT(zfsvfs);
-	if (error != 0) {
+	if (error != 0 && *cookies != NULL) {
 		free(*cookies, M_TEMP);
 		*cookies = NULL;
 		*ncookies = 0;