diff --git a/sys/dev/netmap/netmap_freebsd.c b/sys/dev/netmap/netmap_freebsd.c
index fd4592b7b5a..dd41c85965e 100644
--- a/sys/dev/netmap/netmap_freebsd.c
+++ b/sys/dev/netmap/netmap_freebsd.c
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ nm_os_selinfo_uninit(NM_SELINFO_T *si)
 void
 nm_os_ifnet_lock(void)
 {
-	IFNET_WLOCK();
+	IFNET_RLOCK();
 }
 
 void
@@ -1090,8 +1090,8 @@ nm_kthread_worker(void *data)
 				continue;
 			} else if (nmk->run) {
 				/* wait on event with one second timeout */
-				msleep_spin((void *)(uintptr_t)ctx->cfg.wchan,
-				    &nmk->worker_lock, "nmk_ev", hz);
+				msleep((void *)(uintptr_t)ctx->cfg.wchan,
+					&nmk->worker_lock, 0, "nmk_ev", hz);
 				nmk->scheduled++;
 			}
 			mtx_unlock(&nmk->worker_lock);
@@ -1122,7 +1122,7 @@ nm_os_kthread_create(struct nm_kthread_cfg *cfg, unsigned int cfgtype,
 	if (!nmk)
 		return NULL;
 
-	mtx_init(&nmk->worker_lock, "nm_kthread lock", NULL, MTX_SPIN);
+	mtx_init(&nmk->worker_lock, "nm_kthread lock", NULL, MTX_DEF);
 	nmk->worker_ctx.worker_fn = cfg->worker_fn;
 	nmk->worker_ctx.worker_private = cfg->worker_private;
 	nmk->worker_ctx.type = cfg->type;