--- a/sys/vfs/ext2fs/ext2_lookup.c
+++ b/sys/vfs/ext2fs/ext2_lookup.c
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@
 	/* We need to correct uio_offset. */
 	uio->uio_offset = offset;
 	if (error == EJUSTRETURN)
 		error = 0;
 	if (ap->a_ncookies != NULL) {
 		if (error == 0) {
-			ap->a_ncookies -= ncookies;
+			*ap->a_ncookies -= ncookies;
 		} else {
 			free(*ap->a_cookies, M_TEMP);
 			*ap->a_ncookies = 0;