diff --git a/sys/kern/vfs_cache.c b/sys/kern/vfs_cache.c
index 17bc47ea7d08..103e0a18f077 100644
--- a/sys/kern/vfs_cache.c
+++ b/sys/kern/vfs_cache.c
@@ -1124,7 +1124,7 @@ retry:
 				timespecclear(tsp);
 			if (ticksp != NULL)
 				*ticksp = ticks;
-			VREF(*vpp);
+			vrefact(*vpp);
 			/*
 			 * When we lookup "." we still can be asked to lock it
 			 * differently...
@@ -2115,7 +2115,7 @@ vn_fullpath(struct thread *td, struct vnode *vn, char **retbuf, char **freebuf)
 	fdp = td->td_proc->p_fd;
 	FILEDESC_SLOCK(fdp);
 	rdir = fdp->fd_rdir;
-	VREF(rdir);
+	vrefact(rdir);
 	FILEDESC_SUNLOCK(fdp);
 	error = vn_fullpath1(td, vn, rdir, buf, retbuf, MAXPATHLEN);
 	vrele(rdir);