diff --git a/sys/kern/vfs_cache.c b/sys/kern/vfs_cache.c
index 03bafc75acaa..59c778f922b0 100644
--- a/sys/kern/vfs_cache.c
+++ b/sys/kern/vfs_cache.c
@@ -1416,10 +1416,14 @@ static void
 cache_zap_locked(struct namecache *ncp)
 {
 	struct nchashhead *ncpp;
+	struct vnode *dvp, *vp;
+
+	dvp = ncp->nc_dvp;
+	vp = ncp->nc_vp;
 
 	if (!(ncp->nc_flag & NCF_NEGATIVE))
-		cache_assert_vnode_locked(ncp->nc_vp);
-	cache_assert_vnode_locked(ncp->nc_dvp);
+		cache_assert_vnode_locked(vp);
+	cache_assert_vnode_locked(dvp);
 	cache_assert_bucket_locked(ncp);
 
 	cache_ncp_invalidate(ncp);
@@ -1427,28 +1431,22 @@ cache_zap_locked(struct namecache *ncp)
 	ncpp = NCP2BUCKET(ncp);
 	CK_SLIST_REMOVE(ncpp, ncp, namecache, nc_hash);
 	if (!(ncp->nc_flag & NCF_NEGATIVE)) {
-		SDT_PROBE3(vfs, namecache, zap, done, ncp->nc_dvp,
-		    ncp->nc_name, ncp->nc_vp);
-		TAILQ_REMOVE(&ncp->nc_vp->v_cache_dst, ncp, nc_dst);
-		if (ncp == ncp->nc_vp->v_cache_dd) {
-			vn_seqc_write_begin_unheld(ncp->nc_vp);
-			ncp->nc_vp->v_cache_dd = NULL;
-			vn_seqc_write_end(ncp->nc_vp);
+		SDT_PROBE3(vfs, namecache, zap, done, dvp, ncp->nc_name, vp);
+		TAILQ_REMOVE(&vp->v_cache_dst, ncp, nc_dst);
+		if (ncp == vp->v_cache_dd) {
+			atomic_store_ptr(&vp->v_cache_dd, NULL);
 		}
 	} else {
-		SDT_PROBE2(vfs, namecache, zap_negative, done, ncp->nc_dvp,
-		    ncp->nc_name);
+		SDT_PROBE2(vfs, namecache, zap_negative, done, dvp, ncp->nc_name);
 		cache_neg_remove(ncp);
 	}
 	if (ncp->nc_flag & NCF_ISDOTDOT) {
-		if (ncp == ncp->nc_dvp->v_cache_dd) {
-			vn_seqc_write_begin_unheld(ncp->nc_dvp);
-			ncp->nc_dvp->v_cache_dd = NULL;
-			vn_seqc_write_end(ncp->nc_dvp);
+		if (ncp == dvp->v_cache_dd) {
+			atomic_store_ptr(&dvp->v_cache_dd, NULL);
 		}
 	} else {
 		LIST_REMOVE(ncp, nc_src);
-		if (LIST_EMPTY(&ncp->nc_dvp->v_cache_src)) {
+		if (LIST_EMPTY(&dvp->v_cache_src)) {
 			ncp->nc_flag |= NCF_DVDROP;
 		}
 	}
@@ -1602,7 +1600,7 @@ cache_remove_cnp(struct vnode *dvp, struct componentname *cnp)
 		dvlp2 = NULL;
 		mtx_lock(dvlp);
 retry_dotdot:
-		ncp = dvp->v_cache_dd;
+		ncp = atomic_load_ptr(&dvp->v_cache_dd);
 		if (ncp == NULL) {
 			mtx_unlock(dvlp);
 			if (dvlp2 != NULL)
@@ -1619,9 +1617,11 @@ cache_remove_cnp(struct vnode *dvp, struct componentname *cnp)
 				mtx_unlock(dvlp2);
 			cache_free(ncp);
 		} else {
-			vn_seqc_write_begin(dvp);
-			dvp->v_cache_dd = NULL;
-			vn_seqc_write_end(dvp);
+			VI_LOCK(dvp);
+			vn_seqc_write_begin_locked(dvp);
+			atomic_store_ptr(&dvp->v_cache_dd, NULL);
+			vn_seqc_write_end_locked(dvp);
+			VI_UNLOCK(dvp);
 			mtx_unlock(dvlp);
 			if (dvlp2 != NULL)
 				mtx_unlock(dvlp2);
@@ -1720,7 +1720,7 @@ cache_lookup_dotdot(struct vnode *dvp, struct vnode **vpp, struct componentname
 retry:
 	dvlp = VP2VNODELOCK(dvp);
 	mtx_lock(dvlp);
-	ncp = dvp->v_cache_dd;
+	ncp = atomic_load_ptr(&dvp->v_cache_dd);
 	if (ncp == NULL) {
 		SDT_PROBE3(vfs, namecache, lookup, miss, dvp, "..", NULL);
 		mtx_unlock(dvlp);
@@ -2148,7 +2148,7 @@ cache_enter_lock(struct celockstate *cel, struct vnode *dvp, struct vnode *vp,
 		cache_lock_vnodes_cel(cel, dvp, vp);
 		if (vp == NULL || vp->v_type != VDIR)
 			break;
-		ncp = vp->v_cache_dd;
+		ncp = atomic_load_ptr(&vp->v_cache_dd);
 		if (ncp == NULL)
 			break;
 		if ((ncp->nc_flag & NCF_ISDOTDOT) == 0)
@@ -2187,7 +2187,7 @@ cache_enter_lock_dd(struct celockstate *cel, struct vnode *dvp, struct vnode *vp
 	for (;;) {
 		blps[1] = NULL;
 		cache_lock_vnodes_cel(cel, dvp, vp);
-		ncp = dvp->v_cache_dd;
+		ncp = atomic_load_ptr(&dvp->v_cache_dd);
 		if (ncp == NULL)
 			break;
 		if ((ncp->nc_flag & NCF_ISDOTDOT) == 0)
@@ -2235,14 +2235,14 @@ cache_enter_dotdot_prep(struct vnode *dvp, struct vnode *vp,
 	hash = cache_get_hash(cnp->cn_nameptr, len, dvp);
 	cache_enter_lock_dd(&cel, dvp, vp, hash);
 	vn_seqc_write_begin(dvp);
-	ncp = dvp->v_cache_dd;
+	ncp = atomic_load_ptr(&dvp->v_cache_dd);
 	if (ncp != NULL && (ncp->nc_flag & NCF_ISDOTDOT)) {
 		KASSERT(ncp->nc_dvp == dvp, ("wrong isdotdot parent"));
 		cache_zap_locked(ncp);
 	} else {
 		ncp = NULL;
 	}
-	dvp->v_cache_dd = NULL;
+	atomic_store_ptr(&dvp->v_cache_dd, NULL);
 	vn_seqc_write_end(dvp);
 	cache_enter_unlock(&cel);
 	if (ncp != NULL)
@@ -2380,9 +2380,8 @@ cache_enter_time(struct vnode *dvp, struct vnode *vp, struct componentname *cnp,
 			goto out_unlock_free;
 		KASSERT(vp == NULL || vp->v_type == VDIR,
 		    ("wrong vnode type %p", vp));
-		vn_seqc_write_begin(dvp);
-		dvp->v_cache_dd = ncp;
-		vn_seqc_write_end(dvp);
+		atomic_thread_fence_rel();
+		atomic_store_ptr(&dvp->v_cache_dd, ncp);
 	}
 
 	if (vp != NULL) {
@@ -2391,21 +2390,30 @@ cache_enter_time(struct vnode *dvp, struct vnode *vp, struct componentname *cnp,
 			 * For this case, the cache entry maps both the
 			 * directory name in it and the name ".." for the
 			 * directory's parent.
+			 *
+			 * Don't bother with seqc unless we are redirecting the entry.
 			 */
-			vn_seqc_write_begin(vp);
-			if ((ndd = vp->v_cache_dd) != NULL) {
-				if ((ndd->nc_flag & NCF_ISDOTDOT) != 0)
+			atomic_thread_fence_rel();
+			ndd = vp->v_cache_dd;
+			if (vp->v_cache_dd == NULL) {
+				atomic_store_ptr(&vp->v_cache_dd, ncp);
+			} else {
+				vn_seqc_write_begin(vp);
+				if ((ndd->nc_flag & NCF_ISDOTDOT) != 0) {
 					cache_zap_locked(ndd);
-				else
+				} else {
 					ndd = NULL;
+				}
+				atomic_store_ptr(&vp->v_cache_dd, ncp);
+				vn_seqc_write_end(vp);
 			}
-			vp->v_cache_dd = ncp;
-			vn_seqc_write_end(vp);
 		} else if (vp->v_type != VDIR) {
 			if (vp->v_cache_dd != NULL) {
-				vn_seqc_write_begin(vp);
-				vp->v_cache_dd = NULL;
-				vn_seqc_write_end(vp);
+				VI_LOCK(vp);
+				vn_seqc_write_begin_locked(vp);
+				atomic_store_ptr(&vp->v_cache_dd, NULL);
+				vn_seqc_write_end_locked(vp);
+				VI_UNLOCK(vp);
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -2545,7 +2553,7 @@ cache_vnode_init(struct vnode *vp)
 
 	LIST_INIT(&vp->v_cache_src);
 	TAILQ_INIT(&vp->v_cache_dst);
-	vp->v_cache_dd = NULL;
+	atomic_store_ptr(&vp->v_cache_dd, NULL);
 	cache_prehash(vp);
 }
 
@@ -2623,7 +2631,7 @@ cache_purge_impl(struct vnode *vp)
 			goto retry;
 		TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&batch, ncp, nc_dst);
 	}
-	ncp = vp->v_cache_dd;
+	ncp = atomic_load_ptr(&vp->v_cache_dd);
 	if (ncp != NULL) {
 		KASSERT(ncp->nc_flag & NCF_ISDOTDOT,
 		   ("lost dotdot link"));
@@ -3015,7 +3023,7 @@ vn_vptocnp(struct vnode **vp, char *buf, size_t *buflen)
 
 	vlp = VP2VNODELOCK(*vp);
 	mtx_lock(vlp);
-	ncp = (*vp)->v_cache_dd;
+	ncp = atomic_load_ptr(&(*vp)->v_cache_dd);
 	if (ncp != NULL && (ncp->nc_flag & NCF_ISDOTDOT) == 0) {
 		KASSERT(ncp == vn_dd_from_dst(*vp),
 		    ("%s: mismatch for dd entry (%p != %p)", __func__,
@@ -3289,10 +3297,6 @@ vn_fullpath_any_smr(struct vnode *vp, struct vnode *rdir, char *buf,
 			cache_rev_failed(&reason);
 			goto out_abort;
 		}
-		if (!cache_ncp_canuse(ncp)) {
-			cache_rev_failed(&reason);
-			goto out_abort;
-		}
 		if (ncp->nc_nlen >= *buflen) {
 			cache_rev_failed(&reason);
 			error = ENOMEM;
@@ -3308,6 +3312,10 @@ vn_fullpath_any_smr(struct vnode *vp, struct vnode *rdir, char *buf,
 			cache_rev_failed(&reason);
 			goto out_abort;
 		}
+		if (!cache_ncp_canuse(ncp)) {
+			cache_rev_failed(&reason);
+			goto out_abort;
+		}
 		if (!vn_seqc_consistent(vp, vp_seqc)) {
 			cache_rev_failed(&reason);
 			goto out_abort;