diff --git a/sys/kern/kern_descrip.c b/sys/kern/kern_descrip.c
index 55c2a36955a5..a7e3785bc672 100644
--- a/sys/kern/kern_descrip.c
+++ b/sys/kern/kern_descrip.c
@@ -2903,7 +2903,7 @@ fgetvp_lookup_smr(int fd, struct nameidata *ndp, struct vnode **vpp, bool *fsear
 		return (EAGAIN);
 	*fsearch = ((fp->f_flag & FSEARCH) != 0);
 	vp = fp->f_vnode;
-	if (__predict_false(vp == NULL || vp->v_type != VDIR)) {
+	if (__predict_false(vp == NULL)) {
 		return (EAGAIN);
 	}
 	if (!filecaps_copy(&fde->fde_caps, &ndp->ni_filecaps, false)) {
diff --git a/sys/kern/vfs_cache.c b/sys/kern/vfs_cache.c
index ae26dc70bd05..c1a3b0dab1e8 100644
--- a/sys/kern/vfs_cache.c
+++ b/sys/kern/vfs_cache.c
@@ -4176,9 +4176,9 @@ cache_fpl_terminated(struct cache_fpl *fpl)
 
 #define CACHE_FPL_SUPPORTED_CN_FLAGS \
 	(NC_NOMAKEENTRY | NC_KEEPPOSENTRY | LOCKLEAF | LOCKPARENT | WANTPARENT | \
-	 FAILIFEXISTS | FOLLOW | LOCKSHARED | SAVENAME | SAVESTART | WILLBEDIR | \
-	 ISOPEN | NOMACCHECK | AUDITVNODE1 | AUDITVNODE2 | NOCAPCHECK | OPENREAD | \
-	 OPENWRITE)
+	 FAILIFEXISTS | FOLLOW | EMPTYPATH | LOCKSHARED | SAVENAME | SAVESTART | \
+	 WILLBEDIR | ISOPEN | NOMACCHECK | AUDITVNODE1 | AUDITVNODE2 | NOCAPCHECK | \
+	 OPENREAD | OPENWRITE)
 
 #define CACHE_FPL_INTERNAL_CN_FLAGS \
 	(ISDOTDOT | MAKEENTRY | ISLASTCN)
@@ -4197,6 +4197,7 @@ static bool
 cache_fpl_istrailingslash(struct cache_fpl *fpl)
 {
 
+	MPASS(fpl->nulchar > fpl->cnp->cn_pnbuf);
 	return (*(fpl->nulchar - 1) == '/');
 }
 
@@ -4767,6 +4768,54 @@ cache_fplookup_degenerate(struct cache_fpl *fpl)
 	return (cache_fpl_handled(fpl));
 }
 
+static int __noinline
+cache_fplookup_emptypath(struct cache_fpl *fpl)
+{
+	struct nameidata *ndp;
+	struct componentname *cnp;
+	enum vgetstate tvs;
+	struct vnode *tvp;
+	seqc_t tvp_seqc;
+	int error, lkflags;
+
+	fpl->tvp = fpl->dvp;
+	fpl->tvp_seqc = fpl->dvp_seqc;
+
+	ndp = fpl->ndp;
+	cnp = fpl->cnp;
+	tvp = fpl->tvp;
+	tvp_seqc = fpl->tvp_seqc;
+
+	MPASS(*cnp->cn_pnbuf == '\0');
+	MPASS((cnp->cn_flags & (LOCKPARENT | WANTPARENT)) == 0);
+
+	if (__predict_false((cnp->cn_flags & EMPTYPATH) == 0)) {
+		cache_fpl_smr_exit(fpl);
+		return (cache_fpl_handled_error(fpl, ENOENT));
+	}
+
+	tvs = vget_prep_smr(tvp);
+	cache_fpl_smr_exit(fpl);
+	if (__predict_false(tvs == VGET_NONE)) {
+		return (cache_fpl_aborted(fpl));
+	}
+
+	if ((cnp->cn_flags & LOCKLEAF) != 0) {
+		lkflags = LK_SHARED;
+		if ((cnp->cn_flags & LOCKSHARED) == 0)
+			lkflags = LK_EXCLUSIVE;
+		error = vget_finish(tvp, lkflags, tvs);
+		if (__predict_false(error != 0)) {
+			return (cache_fpl_aborted(fpl));
+		}
+	} else {
+		vget_finish_ref(tvp, tvs);
+	}
+
+	ndp->ni_resflags |= NIRES_EMPTYPATH;
+	return (cache_fpl_handled(fpl));
+}
+
 static int __noinline
 cache_fplookup_noentry(struct cache_fpl *fpl)
 {
@@ -4799,6 +4848,10 @@ cache_fplookup_noentry(struct cache_fpl *fpl)
 		return (cache_fplookup_skip_slashes(fpl));
 	}
 
+	if (cnp->cn_pnbuf[0] == '\0') {
+		return (cache_fplookup_emptypath(fpl));
+	}
+
 	if (cnp->cn_nameptr[0] == '\0') {
 		if (fpl->tvp == NULL) {
 			return (cache_fplookup_degenerate(fpl));
@@ -5486,6 +5539,7 @@ cache_fplookup_parse(struct cache_fpl *fpl)
 	 *
 	 * TODO: fix this to be word-sized.
 	 */
+	MPASS(&cnp->cn_nameptr[fpl->debug.ni_pathlen - 1] >= cnp->cn_pnbuf);
 	KASSERT(&cnp->cn_nameptr[fpl->debug.ni_pathlen - 1] == fpl->nulchar,
 	    ("%s: mismatch between pathlen (%zu) and nulchar (%p != %p), string [%s]\n",
 	    __func__, fpl->debug.ni_pathlen, &cnp->cn_nameptr[fpl->debug.ni_pathlen - 1],
@@ -5739,6 +5793,13 @@ cache_fplookup_failed_vexec(struct cache_fpl *fpl, int error)
 	dvp = fpl->dvp;
 	dvp_seqc = fpl->dvp_seqc;
 
+	/*
+	 * Hack: delayed empty path checking.
+	 */
+	if (cnp->cn_pnbuf[0] == '\0') {
+		return (cache_fplookup_emptypath(fpl));
+	}
+
 	/*
 	 * TODO: Due to ignoring trailing slashes lookup will perform a
 	 * permission check on the last dir when it should not be doing it.  It
diff --git a/sys/kern/vfs_lookup.c b/sys/kern/vfs_lookup.c
index 9e10c3092f5a..8cccd93152ef 100644
--- a/sys/kern/vfs_lookup.c
+++ b/sys/kern/vfs_lookup.c
@@ -463,13 +463,6 @@ namei_getpath(struct nameidata *ndp)
 	if (__predict_false(error != 0))
 		return (error);
 
-	/*
-	 * Don't allow empty pathnames unless EMPTYPATH is specified.
-	 * Caller checks for ENOENT as an indication for the empty path.
-	 */
-	if (__predict_false(*cnp->cn_pnbuf == '\0'))
-		return (ENOENT);
-
 	cnp->cn_nameptr = cnp->cn_pnbuf;
 	return (0);
 }
@@ -598,8 +591,6 @@ namei(struct nameidata *ndp)
 
 	error = namei_getpath(ndp);
 	if (__predict_false(error != 0)) {
-		if (error == ENOENT && (cnp->cn_flags & EMPTYPATH) != 0) 
-			return (namei_emptypath(ndp));
 		namei_cleanup_cnp(cnp);
 		SDT_PROBE4(vfs, namei, lookup, return, error, NULL,
 		    false, ndp);
@@ -642,6 +633,15 @@ namei(struct nameidata *ndp)
 	case CACHE_FPL_STATUS_ABORTED:
 		TAILQ_INIT(&ndp->ni_cap_tracker);
 		MPASS(ndp->ni_lcf == 0);
+		if (*cnp->cn_pnbuf == '\0') {
+			if ((cnp->cn_flags & EMPTYPATH) != 0) {
+				return (namei_emptypath(ndp));
+			}
+			namei_cleanup_cnp(cnp);
+			SDT_PROBE4(vfs, namei, lookup, return, ENOENT, NULL,
+			    false, ndp);
+			return (ENOENT);
+		}
 		error = namei_setup(ndp, &dp, &pwd);
 		if (error != 0) {
 			namei_cleanup_cnp(cnp);