diff --git a/sys/vm/vm_fault.c b/sys/vm/vm_fault.c
index 37ff14231ba6..058107e0bbb8 100644
--- a/sys/vm/vm_fault.c
+++ b/sys/vm/vm_fault.c
@@ -319,12 +319,13 @@ RetryFault:;
 			/* 
 			 * check for page-based copy on write
 			 */
-
+			vm_page_lock_queues();
 			if ((fs.m->cow) && 
 			    (fault_type & VM_PROT_WRITE)) {
 				s = splvm();
 				vm_page_cowfault(fs.m);
 				splx(s);
+				vm_page_unlock_queues();
 				unlock_things(&fs);
 				goto RetryFault;
 			}
@@ -345,7 +346,6 @@ RetryFault:;
 			 * around with a vm_page_t->busy page except, perhaps,
 			 * to pmap it.
 			 */
-			vm_page_lock_queues();
 			if ((fs.m->flags & PG_BUSY) || fs.m->busy) {
 				vm_page_unlock_queues();
 				unlock_things(&fs);
diff --git a/sys/vm/vm_page.c b/sys/vm/vm_page.c
index 74b520c4c5d9..f8730c1182fd 100644
--- a/sys/vm/vm_page.c
+++ b/sys/vm/vm_page.c
@@ -1815,10 +1815,16 @@ vm_page_cowfault(vm_page_t m)
 
  retry_alloc:
 	vm_page_remove(m);
-	mnew = vm_page_alloc(object, pindex, VM_ALLOC_NORMAL);
+	/*
+	 * An interrupt allocation is requested because the page
+	 * queues lock is held. 
+	 */
+	mnew = vm_page_alloc(object, pindex, VM_ALLOC_INTERRUPT);
 	if (mnew == NULL) {
 		vm_page_insert(m, object, pindex);
+		vm_page_unlock_queues();
 		VM_WAIT;
+		vm_page_lock_queues();
 		goto retry_alloc;
 	}