diff --git a/sys/kern/kern_mutex.c b/sys/kern/kern_mutex.c
index 13502b42122d..2a933eb74cf0 100644
--- a/sys/kern/kern_mutex.c
+++ b/sys/kern/kern_mutex.c
@@ -809,6 +809,7 @@ _thread_lock(struct thread *td)
 {
 	struct mtx *m;
 	uintptr_t tid, v;
+	int recursed = 0;
 
 	tid = (uintptr_t)curthread;
 
@@ -823,16 +824,16 @@ _thread_lock(struct thread *td)
 			goto slowpath_unlocked;
 	} else if (v == tid) {
 		m->mtx_recurse++;
+		recursed = 1;
 	} else
 		goto slowpath_unlocked;
 	if (__predict_true(m == td->td_lock)) {
 		WITNESS_LOCK(&m->lock_object, LOP_EXCLUSIVE, file, line);
 		return;
 	}
-	if (m->mtx_recurse != 0)
-		m->mtx_recurse--;
-	else
-		_mtx_release_lock_quick(m);
+	if (recursed)
+		panic("%s: mismatch on a recursed lock\n", __func__);
+	_mtx_release_lock_quick(m);
 slowpath_unlocked:
 	spinlock_exit();
 slowpath_noirq:
@@ -860,6 +861,7 @@ thread_lock_flags_(struct thread *td, int opts, const char *file, int line)
 #if defined(KDTRACE_HOOKS) || defined(LOCK_PROFILING)
 	int doing_lockprof = 1;
 #endif
+	int recursed;
 
 	tid = (uintptr_t)curthread;
 
@@ -886,9 +888,10 @@ thread_lock_flags_(struct thread *td, int opts, const char *file, int line)
 	if (__predict_false(doing_lockprof))
 		spin_time -= lockstat_nsecs(&td->td_lock->lock_object);
 #endif
+	spinlock_enter();
+
 	for (;;) {
 retry:
-		spinlock_enter();
 		m = td->td_lock;
 		thread_lock_validate(m, opts, file, line);
 		v = MTX_READ_VALUE(m);
@@ -899,6 +902,7 @@ thread_lock_flags_(struct thread *td, int opts, const char *file, int line)
 				continue;
 			}
 			if (v == tid) {
+				recursed = 1;
 				m->mtx_recurse++;
 				break;
 			}
@@ -912,15 +916,19 @@ thread_lock_flags_(struct thread *td, int opts, const char *file, int line)
 				} else {
 					_mtx_lock_indefinite_check(m, &lda);
 				}
-				if (m != td->td_lock)
+				if (m != td->td_lock) {
+					spinlock_enter();
 					goto retry;
+				}
 				v = MTX_READ_VALUE(m);
 			} while (v != MTX_UNOWNED);
 			spinlock_enter();
 		}
 		if (m == td->td_lock)
 			break;
-		__mtx_unlock_spin(m);	/* does spinlock_exit() */
+		if (recursed)
+			panic("%s: mismatch on a recursed lock\n", __func__);
+		_mtx_release_lock_quick(m);
 	}
 	LOCK_LOG_LOCK("LOCK", &m->lock_object, opts, m->mtx_recurse, file,
 	    line);