diff --git a/sys/kern/vfs_subr.c b/sys/kern/vfs_subr.c
index 37e713ee48ea..267ca3fb7ef0 100644
--- a/sys/kern/vfs_subr.c
+++ b/sys/kern/vfs_subr.c
@@ -145,6 +145,9 @@ static u_long __exclusive_cache_line numvnodes;
 SYSCTL_ULONG(_vfs, OID_AUTO, numvnodes, CTLFLAG_RD, &numvnodes, 0,
     "Number of vnodes in existence");
 
+static u_long	__exclusive_cache_line	highest_numvnodes;
+SYSCTL_ULONG(_vfs, OID_AUTO, highest_numvnodes, CTLFLAG_RD, &highest_numvnodes, 0, "");
+
 static counter_u64_t vnodes_created;
 SYSCTL_COUNTER_U64(_vfs, OID_AUTO, vnodes_created, CTLFLAG_RD, &vnodes_created,
     "Number of vnodes created by getnewvnode");
@@ -1629,6 +1632,8 @@ vn_alloc_hard(struct mount *mp)
 	}
 alloc:
 	rnumvnodes = atomic_fetchadd_long(&numvnodes, 1) + 1;
+	if (rnumvnodes > highest_numvnodes)
+		highest_numvnodes = rnumvnodes;
 	if (vnlru_under(rnumvnodes, vlowat))
 		vnlru_kick();
 	mtx_unlock(&vnode_list_mtx);
@@ -1647,6 +1652,8 @@ vn_alloc(struct mount *mp)
 		atomic_subtract_long(&numvnodes, 1);
 		return (vn_alloc_hard(mp));
 	}
+	if (rnumvnodes > highest_numvnodes)
+		highest_numvnodes = rnumvnodes;
 
 	return (uma_zalloc_smr(vnode_zone, M_WAITOK));
 }