diff --git a/sys/vm/default_pager.c b/sys/vm/default_pager.c
index 26326a5c1e4c..98dee45d730a 100644
--- a/sys/vm/default_pager.c
+++ b/sys/vm/default_pager.c
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ default_pager_dealloc(object)
 	/*
 	 * OBJT_DEFAULT objects have no special resources allocated to them.
 	 */
+	object->type = OBJT_DEAD;
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/sys/vm/device_pager.c b/sys/vm/device_pager.c
index d05ea333c087..33fba4eb59ac 100644
--- a/sys/vm/device_pager.c
+++ b/sys/vm/device_pager.c
@@ -254,6 +254,8 @@ dev_pager_dealloc(object)
 		    != NULL)
 			dev_pager_free_page(object, m);
 	}
+	object->handle = NULL;
+	object->type = OBJT_DEAD;
 }
 
 static int
diff --git a/sys/vm/phys_pager.c b/sys/vm/phys_pager.c
index 9e9800665dc5..885a4515bb19 100644
--- a/sys/vm/phys_pager.c
+++ b/sys/vm/phys_pager.c
@@ -131,6 +131,8 @@ phys_pager_dealloc(vm_object_t object)
 		mtx_unlock(&phys_pager_mtx);
 		VM_OBJECT_WLOCK(object);
 	}
+	object->handle = NULL;
+	object->type = OBJT_DEAD;
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/sys/vm/sg_pager.c b/sys/vm/sg_pager.c
index e35741e49ee4..23ebd3a4a06d 100644
--- a/sys/vm/sg_pager.c
+++ b/sys/vm/sg_pager.c
@@ -130,6 +130,8 @@ sg_pager_dealloc(vm_object_t object)
 	
 	sg = object->handle;
 	sglist_free(sg);
+	object->handle = NULL;
+	object->type = OBJT_DEAD;
 }
 
 static int
diff --git a/sys/vm/swap_pager.c b/sys/vm/swap_pager.c
index 9a83989a894a..30054910c07a 100644
--- a/sys/vm/swap_pager.c
+++ b/sys/vm/swap_pager.c
@@ -697,6 +697,8 @@ swap_pager_dealloc(vm_object_t object)
 	 * if paging is still in progress on some objects.
 	 */
 	swp_pager_meta_free_all(object);
+	object->handle = NULL;
+	object->type = OBJT_DEAD;
 }
 
 /************************************************************************
diff --git a/sys/vm/vm_meter.c b/sys/vm/vm_meter.c
index 4ec2613b138f..865be71a96fa 100644
--- a/sys/vm/vm_meter.c
+++ b/sys/vm/vm_meter.c
@@ -111,14 +111,7 @@ vmtotal(SYSCTL_HANDLER_ARGS)
 	 */
 	mtx_lock(&vm_object_list_mtx);
 	TAILQ_FOREACH(object, &vm_object_list, object_list) {
-		if (!VM_OBJECT_TRYWLOCK(object)) {
-			/*
-			 * Avoid a lock-order reversal.  Consequently,
-			 * the reported number of active pages may be
-			 * greater than the actual number.
-			 */
-			continue;
-		}
+		VM_OBJECT_WLOCK(object);
 		vm_object_clear_flag(object, OBJ_ACTIVE);
 		VM_OBJECT_WUNLOCK(object);
 	}
@@ -196,10 +189,9 @@ vmtotal(SYSCTL_HANDLER_ARGS)
 	mtx_lock(&vm_object_list_mtx);
 	TAILQ_FOREACH(object, &vm_object_list, object_list) {
 		/*
-		 * Perform unsynchronized reads on the object to avoid
-		 * a lock-order reversal.  In this case, the lack of
-		 * synchronization should not impair the accuracy of
-		 * the reported statistics. 
+		 * Perform unsynchronized reads on the object.  In
+		 * this case, the lack of synchronization should not
+		 * impair the accuracy of the reported statistics.
 		 */
 		if ((object->flags & OBJ_FICTITIOUS) != 0) {
 			/*
diff --git a/sys/vm/vm_object.c b/sys/vm/vm_object.c
index a1d6701a3f2e..78cea70a9f07 100644
--- a/sys/vm/vm_object.c
+++ b/sys/vm/vm_object.c
@@ -166,6 +166,8 @@ vm_object_zdtor(void *mem, int size, void *arg)
 	vm_object_t object;
 
 	object = (vm_object_t)mem;
+	KASSERT(object->ref_count == 0,
+	    ("object %p ref_count = %d", object, object->ref_count));
 	KASSERT(TAILQ_EMPTY(&object->memq),
 	    ("object %p has resident pages in its memq", object));
 	KASSERT(vm_radix_is_empty(&object->rtree),
@@ -187,6 +189,9 @@ vm_object_zdtor(void *mem, int size, void *arg)
 	KASSERT(object->shadow_count == 0,
 	    ("object %p shadow_count = %d",
 	    object, object->shadow_count));
+	KASSERT(object->type == OBJT_DEAD,
+	    ("object %p has non-dead type %d",
+	    object, object->type));
 }
 #endif
 
@@ -199,6 +204,8 @@ vm_object_zinit(void *mem, int size, int flags)
 	rw_init_flags(&object->lock, "vm object", RW_DUPOK | RW_NEW);
 
 	/* These are true for any object that has been freed */
+	object->type = OBJT_DEAD;
+	object->ref_count = 0;
 	object->rtree.rt_root = 0;
 	object->rtree.rt_flags = 0;
 	object->paging_in_progress = 0;
@@ -206,6 +213,10 @@ vm_object_zinit(void *mem, int size, int flags)
 	object->shadow_count = 0;
 	object->cache.rt_root = 0;
 	object->cache.rt_flags = 0;
+
+	mtx_lock(&vm_object_list_mtx);
+	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&vm_object_list, object, object_list);
+	mtx_unlock(&vm_object_list_mtx);
 	return (0);
 }
 
@@ -252,10 +263,6 @@ _vm_object_allocate(objtype_t type, vm_pindex_t size, vm_object_t object)
 #if VM_NRESERVLEVEL > 0
 	LIST_INIT(&object->rvq);
 #endif
-
-	mtx_lock(&vm_object_list_mtx);
-	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&vm_object_list, object, object_list);
-	mtx_unlock(&vm_object_list_mtx);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -670,20 +677,10 @@ void
 vm_object_destroy(vm_object_t object)
 {
 
-	/*
-	 * Remove the object from the global object list.
-	 */
-	mtx_lock(&vm_object_list_mtx);
-	TAILQ_REMOVE(&vm_object_list, object, object_list);
-	mtx_unlock(&vm_object_list_mtx);
-
 	/*
 	 * Release the allocation charge.
 	 */
 	if (object->cred != NULL) {
-		KASSERT(object->type == OBJT_DEFAULT ||
-		    object->type == OBJT_SWAP,
-		    ("%s: non-swap obj %p has cred", __func__, object));
 		swap_release_by_cred(object->charge, object->cred);
 		object->charge = 0;
 		crfree(object->cred);
@@ -788,6 +785,10 @@ vm_object_terminate(vm_object_t object)
 	if (__predict_false(!vm_object_cache_is_empty(object)))
 		vm_page_cache_free(object, 0, 0);
 
+	KASSERT(object->cred == NULL || object->type == OBJT_DEFAULT ||
+	    object->type == OBJT_SWAP,
+	    ("%s: non-swap obj %p has cred", __func__, object));
+
 	/*
 	 * Let the pager know object is dead.
 	 */
@@ -1803,6 +1804,8 @@ vm_object_collapse(vm_object_t object)
 			KASSERT(backing_object->ref_count == 1, (
 "backing_object %p was somehow re-referenced during collapse!",
 			    backing_object));
+			backing_object->type = OBJT_DEAD;
+			backing_object->ref_count = 0;
 			VM_OBJECT_WUNLOCK(backing_object);
 			vm_object_destroy(backing_object);