diff --git a/sys/vm/vm_pageout.c b/sys/vm/vm_pageout.c
index c7f03129d070..aaa9cf5cb654 100644
--- a/sys/vm/vm_pageout.c
+++ b/sys/vm/vm_pageout.c
@@ -1667,7 +1667,7 @@ vm_pageout_scan_inactive(struct vm_domain *vmd, int shortage,
 	 * Wakeup the swapout daemon if we didn't free the targeted number of
 	 * pages.
 	 */
-	if (page_shortage > 0)
+	if (page_shortage > 0 && atomic_load_acq_int(&swapdev_enabled))
 		vm_swapout_run();
 
 	/*