diff --git a/sys/geom/vinum/geom_vinum.c b/sys/geom/vinum/geom_vinum.c
index 01ccbcb2fa0b..7cddd3a09722 100644
--- a/sys/geom/vinum/geom_vinum.c
+++ b/sys/geom/vinum/geom_vinum.c
@@ -312,6 +312,7 @@ gv_create(struct g_geom *gp, struct gctl_req *req)
 
 		gv_config_new_drive(d);
 
+		d->flags |= GV_DRIVE_NEWBORN;
 		LIST_INSERT_HEAD(&sc->drives, d, drive);
 	}
 
@@ -461,6 +462,7 @@ gv_create(struct g_geom *gp, struct gctl_req *req)
 			g_destroy_consumer(cp);
 		} else
 			gv_save_config(NULL, d, sc);
+		d->flags &= ~GV_DRIVE_NEWBORN;
 	}
 
 	return (0);
diff --git a/sys/geom/vinum/geom_vinum_drive.c b/sys/geom/vinum/geom_vinum_drive.c
index 8027ed216e90..3bf237f8795b 100644
--- a/sys/geom/vinum/geom_vinum_drive.c
+++ b/sys/geom/vinum/geom_vinum_drive.c
@@ -113,7 +113,12 @@ gv_save_config(struct g_consumer *cp, struct gv_drive *d, struct gv_softc *sc)
 	KASSERT(d != NULL, ("gv_save_config: null d"));
 	KASSERT(sc != NULL, ("gv_save_config: null sc"));
 
-	if (d->state != GV_DRIVE_UP)
+	/*
+	 * We can't save the config on a drive that isn't up, but drives that
+	 * were just created aren't officially up yet, so we check a special
+	 * flag.
+	 */
+	if ((d->state != GV_DRIVE_UP) && !(d->flags && GV_DRIVE_NEWBORN))
 		return;
 
 	if (cp == NULL) {
diff --git a/sys/geom/vinum/geom_vinum_var.h b/sys/geom/vinum/geom_vinum_var.h
index 47da3726f755..3de2b44a3901 100644
--- a/sys/geom/vinum/geom_vinum_var.h
+++ b/sys/geom/vinum/geom_vinum_var.h
@@ -189,6 +189,7 @@ struct gv_drive {
 #define	GV_DRIVE_THREAD_ACTIVE	0x01	/* Drive has an active worker thread. */
 #define	GV_DRIVE_THREAD_DIE	0x02	/* Signal the worker thread to die. */
 #define	GV_DRIVE_THREAD_DEAD	0x04	/* The worker thread has died. */
+#define	GV_DRIVE_NEWBORN	0x08	/* The drive was just created. */
 
 	struct gv_hdr	*hdr;			/* The drive header. */