diff --git a/sys/kern/vfs_lookup.c b/sys/kern/vfs_lookup.c
index 54ae088f4b7..e78fc25ec34 100644
--- a/sys/kern/vfs_lookup.c
+++ b/sys/kern/vfs_lookup.c
@@ -484,6 +484,9 @@ namei(struct nameidata *ndp)
 	    ("namei: nameiop contaminated with flags"));
 	KASSERT((cnp->cn_flags & OPMASK) == 0,
 	    ("namei: flags contaminated with nameiops"));
+	if (cnp->cn_flags & NOCACHE)
+		KASSERT(cnp->cn_nameiop != LOOKUP,
+		    ("%s: NOCACHE passed with LOOKUP", __func__));
 	MPASS(ndp->ni_startdir == NULL || ndp->ni_startdir->v_type == VDIR ||
 	    ndp->ni_startdir->v_type == VBAD);
 
diff --git a/sys/kern/vfs_subr.c b/sys/kern/vfs_subr.c
index fb245cb6e3d..4df6be9ace7 100644
--- a/sys/kern/vfs_subr.c
+++ b/sys/kern/vfs_subr.c
@@ -408,7 +408,7 @@ sysctl_try_reclaim_vnode(SYSCTL_HANDLER_ARGS)
 
 	buf[req->newlen] = '\0';
 
-	ndflags = LOCKLEAF | NOFOLLOW | AUDITVNODE1 | NOCACHE | SAVENAME;
+	ndflags = LOCKLEAF | NOFOLLOW | AUDITVNODE1 | SAVENAME;
 	NDINIT(&nd, LOOKUP, ndflags, UIO_SYSSPACE, buf, curthread);
 	if ((error = namei(&nd)) != 0)
 		goto out;