diff --git a/sys/kern/vfs_bio.c b/sys/kern/vfs_bio.c
index 0715e91..b9ae5ca 100644
--- a/sys/kern/vfs_bio.c
+++ b/sys/kern/vfs_bio.c
@@ -202,6 +202,9 @@ SYSCTL_INT(_vfs, OID_AUTO, getnewbufrestarts, CTLFLAG_RW, &getnewbufrestarts, 0,
 static int flushbufqtarget = 100;
 SYSCTL_INT(_vfs, OID_AUTO, flushbufqtarget, CTLFLAG_RW, &flushbufqtarget, 0,
     "Amount of work to do in flushbufqueues when helping bufdaemon");
+static long notbufdflashes;
+SYSCTL_LONG(_vfs, OID_AUTO, notbufdflashes, CTLFLAG_RD, &notbufdflashes, 0,
+    "Number of dirty buffer flushes done by the bufdaemon helpers");
 
 /*
  * Wakeup point for bufdaemon, as well as indicator of whether it is already
@@ -2186,7 +2189,7 @@ SYSCTL_INT(_vfs, OID_AUTO, flushwithdeps, CTLFLAG_RW, &flushwithdeps,
 static int
 flushbufqueues(struct vnode *lvp, int queue, int flushdeps)
 {
-	struct buf sentinel;
+	struct buf *sentinel;
 	struct vnode *vp;
 	struct mount *mp;
 	struct buf *bp;
@@ -2202,14 +2205,15 @@ flushbufqueues(struct vnode *lvp, int queue, int flushdeps)
 		target = flushbufqtarget;
 	flushed = 0;
 	bp = NULL;
-	sentinel.b_qindex = QUEUE_SENTINEL;
+	sentinel = malloc(sizeof(struct buf), M_TEMP, M_WAITOK | M_ZERO);
+	sentinel->b_qindex = QUEUE_SENTINEL;
 	mtx_lock(&bqlock);
-	TAILQ_INSERT_HEAD(&bufqueues[queue], &sentinel, b_freelist);
+	TAILQ_INSERT_HEAD(&bufqueues[queue], sentinel, b_freelist);
 	while (flushed != target) {
-		bp = TAILQ_NEXT(&sentinel, b_freelist);
+		bp = TAILQ_NEXT(sentinel, b_freelist);
 		if (bp != NULL) {
-			TAILQ_REMOVE(&bufqueues[queue], &sentinel, b_freelist);
-			TAILQ_INSERT_AFTER(&bufqueues[queue], bp, &sentinel,
+			TAILQ_REMOVE(&bufqueues[queue], sentinel, b_freelist);
+			TAILQ_INSERT_AFTER(&bufqueues[queue], bp, sentinel,
 			    b_freelist);
 		} else
 			break;
@@ -2281,6 +2285,7 @@ flushbufqueues(struct vnode *lvp, int queue, int flushdeps)
 			else {
 				bremfree(bp);
 				bwrite(bp);
+				notbufdflashes++;
 			}
 			vn_finished_write(mp);
 			VOP_UNLOCK(vp, 0);
@@ -2300,8 +2305,9 @@ flushbufqueues(struct vnode *lvp, int queue, int flushdeps)
 		vn_finished_write(mp);
 		BUF_UNLOCK(bp);
 	}
-	TAILQ_REMOVE(&bufqueues[queue], &sentinel, b_freelist);
+	TAILQ_REMOVE(&bufqueues[queue], sentinel, b_freelist);
 	mtx_unlock(&bqlock);
+	free(sentinel, M_TEMP);
 	return (flushed);
 }