diff --git a/sys/ufs/ffs/ffs_balloc.c b/sys/ufs/ffs/ffs_balloc.c
index daa897dfe03..1b53a90a48c 100644
--- a/sys/ufs/ffs/ffs_balloc.c
+++ b/sys/ufs/ffs/ffs_balloc.c
@@ -128,8 +128,6 @@ ffs_balloc_ufs1(struct vnode *vp, off_t startoffset, int size,
 		return (EFBIG);
 	gbflags = (flags & BA_UNMAPPED) != 0 ? GB_UNMAPPED : 0;
 
-	if (DOINGSOFTDEP(vp))
-		softdep_prealloc(vp, MNT_WAIT);
 	/*
 	 * If the next write will extend the file into a new block,
 	 * and the file is currently composed of a fragment
@@ -621,9 +619,6 @@ ffs_balloc_ufs2(struct vnode *vp, off_t startoffset, int size,
 		return (EFBIG);
 	gbflags = (flags & BA_UNMAPPED) != 0 ? GB_UNMAPPED : 0;
 
-	if (DOINGSOFTDEP(vp))
-		softdep_prealloc(vp, MNT_WAIT);
-
 	/*
 	 * Check for allocating external data.
 	 */
diff --git a/sys/ufs/ffs/ffs_vnops.c b/sys/ufs/ffs/ffs_vnops.c
index 1dfdf5182a4..c00469c4c7e 100644
--- a/sys/ufs/ffs/ffs_vnops.c
+++ b/sys/ufs/ffs/ffs_vnops.c
@@ -834,6 +834,11 @@ ffs_write(ap)
 	int blkoffset, error, flags, ioflag, size, xfersize;
 
 	vp = ap->a_vp;
+	if (DOINGSUJ(vp))
+		softdep_prealloc(vp, MNT_WAIT);
+	if (vp->v_data == NULL)
+		return (EBADF);
+
 	uio = ap->a_uio;
 	ioflag = ap->a_ioflag;
 	if (ap->a_ioflag & IO_EXT)