diff --git a/sys/kern/imgact_binmisc.c b/sys/kern/imgact_binmisc.c
index 6d5cca227560..5f324d3c3e16 100644
--- a/sys/kern/imgact_binmisc.c
+++ b/sys/kern/imgact_binmisc.c
@@ -600,12 +600,12 @@ imgact_binmisc_exec(struct image_params *imgp)
 	}
 
 	/* No interpreter nesting allowed. */
-	if (imgp->interpreted) {
+	if (imgp->interpreted & IMGACT_BINMISC) {
 		mtx_unlock(&interp_list_mtx);
 		return (ENOEXEC);
 	}
 
-	imgp->interpreted = 1;
+	imgp->interpreted |= IMGACT_BINMISC;
 
 	if (imgp->args->fname != NULL) {
 		fname = imgp->args->fname;
diff --git a/sys/kern/imgact_shell.c b/sys/kern/imgact_shell.c
index d9884f5d1cdf..aaf521cf251e 100644
--- a/sys/kern/imgact_shell.c
+++ b/sys/kern/imgact_shell.c
@@ -115,10 +115,10 @@ exec_shell_imgact(imgp)
 	 * Don't allow a shell script to be the shell for a shell
 	 *	script. :-)
 	 */
-	if (imgp->interpreted)
+	if (imgp->interpreted & IMGACT_SHELL)
 		return (ENOEXEC);
 
-	imgp->interpreted = 1;
+	imgp->interpreted |= IMGACT_SHELL;
 
 	/*
 	 * At this point we have the first page of the file mapped.
diff --git a/sys/sys/imgact.h b/sys/sys/imgact.h
index 17cfcc24652a..844093937352 100644
--- a/sys/sys/imgact.h
+++ b/sys/sys/imgact.h
@@ -61,7 +61,9 @@ struct image_params {
 	unsigned long entry_addr; /* entry address of target executable */
 	unsigned long reloc_base; /* load address of image */
 	char vmspace_destroyed;	/* flag - we've blown away original vm space */
-	char interpreted;	/* flag - this executable is interpreted */
+#define IMGACT_SHELL	0x1
+#define IMGACT_BINMISC	0x2
+	unsigned char interpreted;	/* mask of interpreters that have run */
 	char opened;		/* flag - we have opened executable vnode */
 	char *interpreter_name;	/* name of the interpreter */
 	void *auxargs;		/* ELF Auxinfo structure pointer */