diff --git a/lib/libc/net/nsdispatch.c b/lib/libc/net/nsdispatch.c
index a0defa50bab1..308f58f2688d 100644
--- a/lib/libc/net/nsdispatch.c
+++ b/lib/libc/net/nsdispatch.c
@@ -525,7 +525,7 @@ nss_load_module(const char *source, nss_module_register_fn reg_fn)
 	vector_sort(_nsmod, _nsmodsize, sizeof(*_nsmod), string_compare);
 }
 
-
+static int exiting = 0;
 
 static void
 ns_mod_free(ns_mod *mod)
@@ -536,12 +536,10 @@ ns_mod_free(ns_mod *mod)
 		return;
 	if (mod->unregister != NULL)
 		mod->unregister(mod->mtab, mod->mtabsize);
-	if (mod->handle != nss_builtin_handle)
+	if (mod->handle != nss_builtin_handle && !exiting)
 		(void)dlclose(mod->handle);
 }
 
-
-
 /*
  * Cleanup
  */
@@ -550,6 +548,7 @@ nss_atexit(void)
 {
 	int isthreaded;
 
+	exiting = 1;
 	isthreaded = __isthreaded;
 	if (isthreaded)
 		(void)_pthread_rwlock_wrlock(&nss_lock);
@@ -561,8 +560,6 @@ nss_atexit(void)
 		(void)_pthread_rwlock_unlock(&nss_lock);
 }
 
-
-
 /*
  * Finally, the actual implementation.
  */