diff --git a/sys/kern/kern_exec.c b/sys/kern/kern_exec.c
index eff0f832b01d..22c53a5b0dac 100644
--- a/sys/kern/kern_exec.c
+++ b/sys/kern/kern_exec.c
@@ -691,7 +691,8 @@ do_execve(td, args, mac_p)
 		setsugid(p);
 
 #ifdef KTRACE
-		if (priv_check_cred(oldcred, PRIV_DEBUG_DIFFCRED, 0))
+		if (p->p_tracecred != NULL &&
+		    priv_check_cred(p->p_tracecred, PRIV_DEBUG_DIFFCRED, 0))
 			ktrprocexec(p, &tracecred, &tracevp);
 #endif
 		/*