diff --git a/sys/kern/vfs_synth.c b/sys/kern/vfs_synth.c
--- a/sys/kern/vfs_synth.c
+++ b/sys/kern/vfs_synth.c
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@
 	if (error == 0) {
 		if (nd.nl_nch.ncp->nc_vp == NULL) {
 			kprintf("synth: nc_vp == NULL\n");
+			nlookup_done(&nd);
 			return (NULL);
 		}
 		nch = nd.nl_nch;