Index: sys/ufs/ffs/ffs_softdep.c
===================================================================
--- sys/ufs/ffs/ffs_softdep.c	(revision 251100)
+++ sys/ufs/ffs/ffs_softdep.c	(working copy)
@@ -453,6 +453,14 @@ softdep_change_linkcnt(ip)
 	panic("softdep_change_linkcnt called");
 }
 
+int
+softdep_check_linkcnt(ip)
+	struct inode *ip;
+{
+
+	panic("softdep_check_linkcnt called");
+}
+
 void 
 softdep_load_inodeblock(ip)
 	struct inode *ip;
@@ -1293,6 +1301,7 @@ static int stat_cleanup_blkrequests; /* 
 static int stat_cleanup_inorequests; /* Number of inode cleanup requests */
 static int stat_cleanup_retries; /* Number of cleanups that needed to flush */
 static int stat_cleanup_failures; /* Number of cleanup requests that failed */
+static int stat_linkcnt_retries; /* Attempts to get i_nlink below LINK_MAX */
 
 SYSCTL_INT(_debug_softdep, OID_AUTO, max_softdeps, CTLFLAG_RW,
     &max_softdeps, 0, "");
@@ -1350,6 +1359,8 @@ SYSCTL_INT(_debug_softdep, OID_AUTO, cle
     &stat_cleanup_failures, 0, "");
 SYSCTL_INT(_debug_softdep, OID_AUTO, flushcache, CTLFLAG_RW,
     &softdep_flushcache, 0, "");
+SYSCTL_INT(_debug_softdep, OID_AUTO, linkcnt_retries, CTLFLAG_RW,
+    &stat_linkcnt_retries, 0, "");
 
 SYSCTL_DECL(_vfs_ffs);
 
@@ -9158,6 +9169,35 @@ softdep_change_linkcnt(ip)
 	FREE_LOCK(&lk);
 }
 
+int
+softdep_check_linkcnt(ip)
+	struct inode *ip;
+{
+	struct vnode *vp;
+	int error;
+
+	vp = ITOV(ip);
+	ASSERT_VOP_LOCKED(vp, "softdep_check_linkcnt");
+
+	while (ip->i_nlink >= LINK_MAX) {
+		if (ip->i_effnlink >= LINK_MAX)
+			return (EMLINK);
+
+		stat_linkcnt_retries++;
+		ACQUIRE_LOCK(&lk);
+		process_removes(vp);
+		softdep_speedup();
+		FREE_LOCK(&lk);
+		error = ffs_syncvnode(vp, MNT_WAIT, 0);
+		if (error != 0)
+			return (error);
+		ACQUIRE_LOCK(&lk);
+		process_worklist_item(vp->v_mount, 2, LK_NOWAIT);
+		FREE_LOCK(&lk);
+	}
+	return (0);
+}
+
 /*
  * Attach a sbdep dependency to the superblock buf so that we can keep
  * track of the head of the linked list of referenced but unlinked inodes.
Index: sys/ufs/ufs/ufs_extern.h
===================================================================
--- sys/ufs/ufs/ufs_extern.h	(revision 251100)
+++ sys/ufs/ufs/ufs_extern.h	(working copy)
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ void	softdep_setup_remove(struct buf *,s
 void	softdep_setup_directory_change(struct buf *, struct inode *,
 	    struct inode *, ino_t, int);
 void	softdep_change_linkcnt(struct inode *);
+int	softdep_check_linkcnt(struct inode *);
 void	softdep_releasefile(struct inode *);
 int	softdep_slowdown(struct vnode *);
 void	softdep_setup_create(struct inode *, struct inode *);
Index: sys/ufs/ufs/ufs_vnops.c
===================================================================
--- sys/ufs/ufs/ufs_vnops.c	(revision 251100)
+++ sys/ufs/ufs/ufs_vnops.c	(working copy)
@@ -1812,10 +1812,13 @@ ufs_mkdir(ap)
 		panic("ufs_mkdir: no name");
 #endif
 	dp = VTOI(dvp);
-	if ((nlink_t)dp->i_nlink >= LINK_MAX) {
+	error = 0;
+	if (DOINGSOFTDEP(dvp))
+		error = softdep_check_linkcnt(dp);
+	else if ((nlink_t)dp->i_nlink >= LINK_MAX)
 		error = EMLINK;
+	if (error != 0)
 		goto out;
-	}
 	dmode = vap->va_mode & 0777;
 	dmode |= IFDIR;
 	/*