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
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@
 	/* A VX locked & refd vnode must be returned. */
 	error = vget(vp, LK_EXCLUSIVE);
 	cache_unlock(&nch);
+	cache_drop(&nch);
 
 	if (error) {
 		kprintf("synth: could not vget vnode\n");