diff --git a/sys/kern/kern_conf.c b/sys/kern/kern_conf.c
index 8fc1b093009..3883aa32256 100644
--- a/sys/kern/kern_conf.c
+++ b/sys/kern/kern_conf.c
@@ -576,20 +576,33 @@ newdev(struct make_dev_args *args, struct cdev *si)
 
 	mtx_assert(&devmtx, MA_OWNED);
 	csw = args->mda_devsw;
+	si2 = NULL;
 	if (csw->d_flags & D_NEEDMINOR) {
 		/* We may want to return an existing device */
 		LIST_FOREACH(si2, &csw->d_devs, si_list) {
 			if (dev2unit(si2) == args->mda_unit) {
 				dev_free_devlocked(si);
-				return (si2);
+				si = si2;
+				break;
 			}
 		}
+
+		/*
+		 * I had a goto here, but then realized that we shouldn't
+		 * be returning stuff marked NAME anyways.  Anything on this
+		 * list will likely be uninitialized.
+		 */
+		KASSERT(si2 == NULL || (si2->si_flags & SI_NAMED) == 0,
+		    ("%s: attempt to return fully initialized device %s",
+		    __func__, si2->si_name));
 	}
 	si->si_drv0 = args->mda_unit;
 	si->si_devsw = csw;
 	si->si_drv1 = args->mda_si_drv1;
 	si->si_drv2 = args->mda_si_drv2;
-	LIST_INSERT_HEAD(&csw->d_devs, si, si_list);
+	/* Only pushes to csw->d_devs if it's not a cloned device. */
+	if (si2 == NULL)
+		LIST_INSERT_HEAD(&csw->d_devs, si, si_list);
 	return (si);
 }