diff --git a/sys/kern/vfs_cache.c b/sys/kern/vfs_cache.c
index 656f446b739..99f7314822f 100644
--- a/sys/kern/vfs_cache.c
+++ b/sys/kern/vfs_cache.c
@@ -4245,19 +4245,28 @@ cache_can_fplookup(struct cache_fpl *fpl)
 	return (true);
 }
 
-static int
+static int __noinline
 cache_fplookup_dirfd(struct cache_fpl *fpl, struct vnode **vpp)
 {
 	struct nameidata *ndp;
+	struct componentname *cnp;
 	int error;
 	bool fsearch;
 
 	ndp = fpl->ndp;
+	cnp = fpl->cnp;
+
 	error = fgetvp_lookup_smr(ndp->ni_dirfd, ndp, vpp, &fsearch);
 	if (__predict_false(error != 0)) {
 		return (cache_fpl_aborted(fpl));
 	}
 	fpl->fsearch = fsearch;
+	if ((*vpp)->v_type != VDIR) {
+		if (!((cnp->cn_flags & EMPTYPATH) != 0 && cnp->cn_pnbuf[0] == '\0')) {
+			cache_fpl_smr_exit(fpl);
+			return (cache_fpl_handled_error(fpl, ENOTDIR));
+		}
+	}
 	return (0);
 }