diff --git a/sys/geom/geom.h b/sys/geom/geom.h
index b05fb1d95403..80d294924d16 100644
--- a/sys/geom/geom.h
+++ b/sys/geom/geom.h
@@ -211,6 +211,7 @@ void g_trace(int level, const char *, ...);
 typedef void g_event_t(void *, int flag);
 #define EV_CANCEL	1
 int g_post_event(g_event_t *func, void *arg, int flag, ...);
+int g_waitfor_event(g_event_t *func, void *arg, int flag, ...);
 void g_cancel_event(void *ref);
 void g_orphan_provider(struct g_provider *pp, int error);
 void g_waitidle(void);
diff --git a/sys/geom/geom_disk.c b/sys/geom/geom_disk.c
index 91887b869f2f..ec2e9b81785b 100644
--- a/sys/geom/geom_disk.c
+++ b/sys/geom/geom_disk.c
@@ -375,7 +375,6 @@ g_kern_disks(void *p, int flag __unused)
 		sp = " ";
 	}
 	sbuf_finish(sb);
-	wakeup(sb);
 }
 
 static int
@@ -386,10 +385,7 @@ sysctl_disks(SYSCTL_HANDLER_ARGS)
 
 	sb = sbuf_new(NULL, NULL, 0, SBUF_AUTOEXTEND);
 	sbuf_clear(sb);
-	g_post_event(g_kern_disks, sb, M_WAITOK, NULL);
-	while (!sbuf_done(sb)) {
-		tsleep(sb, PZERO, "kern.disks", hz);
-	}
+	g_waitfor_event(g_kern_disks, sb, M_WAITOK, NULL);
 	error = SYSCTL_OUT(req, sbuf_data(sb), sbuf_len(sb) + 1);
 	sbuf_delete(sb);
 	return error;
diff --git a/sys/geom/geom_dump.c b/sys/geom/geom_dump.c
index 3f064b3334c3..c56a25df5013 100644
--- a/sys/geom/geom_dump.c
+++ b/sys/geom/geom_dump.c
@@ -106,7 +106,6 @@ g_confdot(void *p, int flag )
 		g_confdot_class(sb, mp);
 	sbuf_printf(sb, "};\n");
 	sbuf_finish(sb);
-	wakeup(p);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -150,7 +149,6 @@ g_conftxt(void *p, int flag)
 	if (mp != NULL)
 		g_conftxt_class(sb, mp);
 	sbuf_finish(sb);
-	wakeup(p);
 }
 
 
@@ -260,7 +258,6 @@ g_confxml(void *p, int flag)
 	KASSERT(flag != EV_CANCEL, ("g_confxml was cancelled"));
 	g_topology_assert();
 	g_conf_specific(p, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL);
-	wakeup(p);
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/sys/geom/geom_event.c b/sys/geom/geom_event.c
index babff65431f4..0add6cf1411f 100644
--- a/sys/geom/geom_event.c
+++ b/sys/geom/geom_event.c
@@ -64,11 +64,15 @@ static struct sx g_eventstall;
 
 struct g_event {
 	TAILQ_ENTRY(g_event)	events;
-	void			*arg;
 	g_event_t		*func;
+	void			*arg;
+	int			flag;
 	void			*ref[G_N_EVENTREFS];
 };
 
+#define EV_DONE		0x80000
+#define EV_WAKEUP	0x40000
+
 void
 g_waitidle(void)
 {
@@ -180,7 +184,12 @@ one_event(void)
 	g_topology_assert();
 	ep->func(ep->arg, 0);
 	g_topology_assert();
-	g_destroy_event(ep);
+	if (ep->flag & EV_WAKEUP) {
+		ep->flag |= EV_DONE;
+		wakeup(ep);
+	} else {
+		g_destroy_event(ep);
+	}
 	g_pending_events--;
 	if (g_pending_events == 0)
 		wakeup(&g_pending_events);
@@ -212,7 +221,12 @@ g_cancel_event(void *ref)
 			if (ep->ref[n] == ref) {
 				TAILQ_REMOVE(&g_events, ep, events);
 				ep->func(ep->arg, EV_CANCEL);
-				g_free(ep);
+				if (ep->flag & EV_WAKEUP) {
+					ep->flag |= EV_DONE;
+					wakeup(ep);
+				} else {
+					g_destroy_event(ep);
+				}
 				break;
 			}
 		}
@@ -220,21 +234,18 @@ g_cancel_event(void *ref)
 	mtx_unlock(&g_eventlock);
 }
 
-int
-g_post_event(g_event_t *func, void *arg, int flag, ...)
+static int
+g_post_event_x(g_event_t *func, void *arg, int flag, struct g_event **epp, va_list ap)
 {
 	struct g_event *ep;
-	va_list ap;
 	void *p;
 	u_int n;
 
-	g_trace(G_T_TOPOLOGY, "g_post_event(%p, %p, %d", func, arg, flag);
-	KASSERT(flag == M_NOWAIT || flag == M_WAITOK,
-	    ("Wrong flag to g_post_event"));
+	g_trace(G_T_TOPOLOGY, "g_post_event_x(%p, %p, %d", func, arg, flag);
 	ep = g_malloc(sizeof *ep, flag | M_ZERO);
 	if (ep == NULL)
 		return (ENOMEM);
-	va_start(ap, flag);
+	ep->flag = flag;
 	for (n = 0; n < G_N_EVENTREFS; n++) {
 		p = va_arg(ap, void *);
 		if (p == NULL)
@@ -251,6 +262,48 @@ g_post_event(g_event_t *func, void *arg, int flag, ...)
 	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&g_events, ep, events);
 	mtx_unlock(&g_eventlock);
 	wakeup(&g_wait_event);
+	if (epp != NULL)
+		*epp = ep;
+	return (0);
+}
+
+int
+g_post_event(g_event_t *func, void *arg, int flag, ...)
+{
+	va_list ap;
+
+	va_start(ap, flag);
+	KASSERT(flag == M_WAITOK || flag == M_NOWAIT,
+	    ("Wrong flag to g_post_event"));
+	return (g_post_event_x(func, arg, flag, NULL, ap));
+}
+
+
+/*
+ * XXX: It might actually be useful to call this function with topology held.
+ * XXX: This would ensure that the event gets created before anything else
+ * XXX: changes.  At present all users have a handle on things in some other
+ * XXX: way, so this remains an XXX for now.
+ */
+
+int
+g_waitfor_event(g_event_t *func, void *arg, int flag, ...)
+{
+	va_list ap;
+	struct g_event *ep;
+	int error;
+
+	/* g_topology_assert_not(); */
+	va_start(ap, flag);
+	KASSERT(flag == M_WAITOK || flag == M_NOWAIT,
+	    ("Wrong flag to g_post_event"));
+	error = g_post_event_x(func, arg, flag | EV_WAKEUP, &ep, ap);
+	if (error)
+		return (error);
+	do 
+		tsleep(ep, PRIBIO, "g_waitfor_event", hz);
+	while (!(ep->flag & EV_DONE));
+	g_destroy_event(ep);
 	return (0);
 }
 
diff --git a/sys/geom/geom_kern.c b/sys/geom/geom_kern.c
index 38531b75cecd..aa44b9fa4c69 100644
--- a/sys/geom/geom_kern.c
+++ b/sys/geom/geom_kern.c
@@ -172,10 +172,7 @@ sysctl_kern_geom_conftxt(SYSCTL_HANDLER_ARGS)
 
 	sb = sbuf_new(NULL, NULL, 0, SBUF_AUTOEXTEND);
 	sbuf_clear(sb);
-	g_post_event(g_conftxt, sb, M_WAITOK, NULL);
-	do {
-		tsleep(sb, PZERO, "g_conftxt", hz);
-	} while(!sbuf_done(sb));
+	g_waitfor_event(g_conftxt, sb, M_WAITOK, NULL);
 	error = SYSCTL_OUT(req, sbuf_data(sb), sbuf_len(sb) + 1);
 	sbuf_delete(sb);
 	return error;
@@ -189,10 +186,7 @@ sysctl_kern_geom_confdot(SYSCTL_HANDLER_ARGS)
 
 	sb = sbuf_new(NULL, NULL, 0, SBUF_AUTOEXTEND);
 	sbuf_clear(sb);
-	g_post_event(g_confdot, sb, M_WAITOK, NULL);
-	do {
-		tsleep(sb, PZERO, "g_confdot", hz);
-	} while(!sbuf_done(sb));
+	g_waitfor_event(g_confdot, sb, M_WAITOK, NULL);
 	error = SYSCTL_OUT(req, sbuf_data(sb), sbuf_len(sb) + 1);
 	sbuf_delete(sb);
 	return error;
@@ -206,10 +200,7 @@ sysctl_kern_geom_confxml(SYSCTL_HANDLER_ARGS)
 
 	sb = sbuf_new(NULL, NULL, 0, SBUF_AUTOEXTEND);
 	sbuf_clear(sb);
-	g_post_event(g_confxml, sb, M_WAITOK, NULL);
-	do {
-		tsleep(sb, PZERO, "g_confxml", hz);
-	} while(!sbuf_done(sb));
+	g_waitfor_event(g_confxml, sb, M_WAITOK, NULL);
 	error = SYSCTL_OUT(req, sbuf_data(sb), sbuf_len(sb) + 1);
 	sbuf_delete(sb);
 	return error;
diff --git a/sys/geom/geom_sunlabel.c b/sys/geom/geom_sunlabel.c
index edd3e6f84af9..a8891af8170a 100644
--- a/sys/geom/geom_sunlabel.c
+++ b/sys/geom/geom_sunlabel.c
@@ -164,7 +164,6 @@ g_sunlabel_callconfig(void *arg, int flag)
 	if (!hp->error)
 		hp->error = g_write_data(LIST_FIRST(&hp->gp->consumer),
 		    0, hp->label, SUN_SIZE);
-	wakeup(hp);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -194,11 +193,8 @@ g_sunlabel_config(struct gctl_req *req, struct g_geom *gp, const char *verb)
 		error = g_access_rel(cp, 1, 1, 1);
 		if (error)
 			return (error);
-		g_post_event(g_sunlabel_callconfig, &h0h0, M_WAITOK, gp, NULL);
 		g_topology_unlock();
-		do 
-			tsleep(&h0h0, PRIBIO, "g_sunlabel_config", hz);
-		while (h0h0.error == -1);
+		g_waitfor_event(g_sunlabel_callconfig, &h0h0, M_WAITOK, gp, NULL);
 		g_topology_lock();
 		error = h0h0.error;
 		g_access_rel(cp, -1, -1, -1);