diff --git a/sys/kern/kern_ktrace.c b/sys/kern/kern_ktrace.c
index 0e30fc9cd9c8..676cd438420b 100644
--- a/sys/kern/kern_ktrace.c
+++ b/sys/kern/kern_ktrace.c
@@ -572,9 +572,14 @@ void
 ktrprocfork(struct proc *p1, struct proc *p2)
 {
 
+	MPASS(p2->p_tracevp == NULL);
+	MPASS(p2->p_traceflag == 0);
+
+	if (p1->p_traceflag == 0)
+		return;
+
 	PROC_LOCK(p1);
 	mtx_lock(&ktrace_mtx);
-	KASSERT(p2->p_tracevp == NULL, ("new process has a ktrace vnode"));
 	if (p1->p_traceflag & KTRFAC_INHERIT) {
 		p2->p_traceflag = p1->p_traceflag;
 		if ((p2->p_tracevp = p1->p_tracevp) != NULL) {