diff --git a/sys/kern/sys_generic.c b/sys/kern/sys_generic.c
index 0f3e3a93f0b0..e3393f3b3dfd 100644
--- a/sys/kern/sys_generic.c
+++ b/sys/kern/sys_generic.c
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ pread(td, uap)
 
 	if ((error = fget_read(td, uap->fd, &fp)) != 0)
 		return (error);
-	if (fp->f_type != DTYPE_VNODE) {
+	if (!(fp->f_ops->fo_flags & DFLAG_SEEKABLE)) {
 		error = ESPIPE;
 	} else {
 		error = dofileread(td, fp, uap->fd, uap->buf, uap->nbyte, 
@@ -360,11 +360,11 @@ pwrite(td, uap)
 	int error;
 
 	if ((error = fget_write(td, uap->fd, &fp)) == 0) {
-		if (fp->f_type == DTYPE_VNODE) {
+		if (!(fp->f_ops->fo_flags & DFLAG_SEEKABLE)) {
+			error = ESPIPE;
+		} else {
 			error = dofilewrite(td, fp, uap->fd, uap->buf,
 				    uap->nbyte, uap->offset, FOF_OFFSET);
-		} else {
-			error = ESPIPE;
 		}
 		fdrop(fp, td);
 	} else {
diff --git a/sys/kern/vfs_extattr.c b/sys/kern/vfs_extattr.c
index 2d123efad751..6d42736479d3 100644
--- a/sys/kern/vfs_extattr.c
+++ b/sys/kern/vfs_extattr.c
@@ -1341,7 +1341,7 @@ lseek(td, uap)
 
 	if ((error = fget(td, uap->fd, &fp)) != 0)
 		return (error);
-	if (fp->f_type != DTYPE_VNODE) {
+	if (!(fp->f_ops->fo_flags & DFLAG_SEEKABLE)) {
 		fdrop(fp, td);
 		return (ESPIPE);
 	}
diff --git a/sys/kern/vfs_syscalls.c b/sys/kern/vfs_syscalls.c
index 2d123efad751..6d42736479d3 100644
--- a/sys/kern/vfs_syscalls.c
+++ b/sys/kern/vfs_syscalls.c
@@ -1341,7 +1341,7 @@ lseek(td, uap)
 
 	if ((error = fget(td, uap->fd, &fp)) != 0)
 		return (error);
-	if (fp->f_type != DTYPE_VNODE) {
+	if (!(fp->f_ops->fo_flags & DFLAG_SEEKABLE)) {
 		fdrop(fp, td);
 		return (ESPIPE);
 	}
diff --git a/sys/kern/vfs_vnops.c b/sys/kern/vfs_vnops.c
index 51cd23199226..786fad150185 100644
--- a/sys/kern/vfs_vnops.c
+++ b/sys/kern/vfs_vnops.c
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ struct 	fileops vnops = {
 	.fo_kqfilter = vn_kqfilter,
 	.fo_stat = vn_statfile,
 	.fo_close = vn_closefile,
-	.fo_flags = DFLAG_PASSABLE
+	.fo_flags = DFLAG_PASSABLE | DFLAG_SEEKABLE
 };
 
 int
diff --git a/sys/sys/file.h b/sys/sys/file.h
index bcc418ea2639..17bdc81d744c 100644
--- a/sys/sys/file.h
+++ b/sys/sys/file.h
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ struct fileops {
 };
 
 #define DFLAG_PASSABLE	0x01	/* may be passed via unix sockets. */
+#define DFLAG_SEEKABLE	0x02	/* seekable / nonsequential */
 
 /*
  * Kernel descriptor table.