diff --git a/sys/vm/vm_fault.c b/sys/vm/vm_fault.c
index 3bf16778d987..f7318f96f709 100644
--- a/sys/vm/vm_fault.c
+++ b/sys/vm/vm_fault.c
@@ -138,6 +138,7 @@ struct faultstate {
 	vm_object_t	object;
 	vm_pindex_t	pindex;
 	vm_page_t	m;
+	bool		m_needs_zeroing;
 
 	/* Top-level map object. */
 	vm_object_t	first_object;
@@ -273,6 +274,7 @@ static void
 vm_fault_deallocate(struct faultstate *fs)
 {
 
+	fs->m_needs_zeroing = true;
 	vm_fault_page_release(&fs->m_cow);
 	vm_fault_page_release(&fs->m);
 	vm_object_pip_wakeup(fs->object);
@@ -1219,7 +1221,7 @@ vm_fault_zerofill(struct faultstate *fs)
 	/*
 	 * Zero the page if necessary and mark it valid.
 	 */
-	if ((fs->m->flags & PG_ZERO) == 0) {
+	if (fs->m_needs_zeroing) {
 		pmap_zero_page(fs->m);
 	} else {
 #ifdef INVARIANTS
@@ -1352,6 +1354,7 @@ vm_fault_allocate(struct faultstate *fs, struct pctrie_iter *pages)
 			vm_waitpfault(dset, vm_pfault_oom_wait * hz);
 		return (FAULT_RESTART);
 	}
+	fs->m_needs_zeroing = (fs->m->flags & PG_ZERO) == 0;
 	fs->oom_started = false;
 
 	return (FAULT_CONTINUE);
@@ -1686,6 +1689,7 @@ vm_fault(vm_map_t map, vm_offset_t vaddr, vm_prot_t fault_type,
 	fs.fault_flags = fault_flags;
 	fs.map = map;
 	fs.lookup_still_valid = false;
+	fs.m_needs_zeroing = true;
 	fs.oom_started = false;
 	fs.nera = -1;
 	fs.can_read_lock = true;