diff --git a/sys/kern/vfs_bio.c b/sys/kern/vfs_bio.c
index 3ef984a1e1e6..7c8b16da9309 100644
--- a/sys/kern/vfs_bio.c
+++ b/sys/kern/vfs_bio.c
@@ -2819,18 +2819,19 @@ biodone(struct bio *bp)
 
 /*
  * Wait for a BIO to finish.
- * XXX: For now resort to a timeout, the optimal locking (if any) for this
- * case is not at this point obvious.
+ *
+ * XXX: resort to a timeout for now.  The optimal locking (if any) for this
+ * case is not yet clear.
  */
 int
 biowait(struct bio *bp, const char *wchan)
 {
 
 	while ((bp->bio_flags & BIO_DONE) == 0)
-		msleep(bp, NULL, 0, wchan, hz);
+		msleep(bp, NULL, PRIBIO, wchan, hz / 10);
 	if (!(bp->bio_flags & BIO_ERROR))
 		return (0);
-	if (bp->bio_error)
+	if (bp->bio_error != 0)
 		return (bp->bio_error);
 	return (EIO);
 }