diff --git a/sys/ufs/ffs/ffs_alloc.c b/sys/ufs/ffs/ffs_alloc.c
index c5e2a706a128..e173253720c6 100644
--- a/sys/ufs/ffs/ffs_alloc.c
+++ b/sys/ufs/ffs/ffs_alloc.c
@@ -2295,9 +2295,14 @@ ffs_blkfree_cg(struct ufsmount *ump,
 		return;
 	}
 	if ((error = ffs_getcg(fs, devvp, cg, GB_CVTENXIO, &bp, &cgp)) != 0) {
-		if (!ffs_fsfail_cleanup(ump, error) ||
-		    !MOUNTEDSOFTDEP(UFSTOVFS(ump)) || devvp->v_type != VCHR)
+		if (!MOUNTEDSOFTDEP(UFSTOVFS(ump)) || devvp->v_type != VCHR)
 			return;
+		/*
+		 * Would like to just downgrade to read-only. Until that
+		 * capability is available, just toss the cylinder group
+		 * update and mark the filesystem as needing to run fsck.
+		 */
+		fs->fs_flags |= FS_NEEDSFSCK;
 		if (devvp->v_type == VREG)
 			dbn = fragstoblks(fs, cgtod(fs, cg));
 		else
@@ -2305,7 +2310,7 @@ ffs_blkfree_cg(struct ufsmount *ump,
 		error = getblkx(devvp, dbn, dbn, fs->fs_cgsize, 0, 0, 0, &bp);
 		KASSERT(error == 0, ("getblkx failed"));
 		softdep_setup_blkfree(UFSTOVFS(ump), bp, bno,
-		    numfrags(fs, size), dephd);
+		    numfrags(fs, size), dephd, true);
 		bp->b_flags |= B_RELBUF | B_NOCACHE;
 		bp->b_flags &= ~B_CACHE;
 		bawrite(bp);
@@ -2380,7 +2385,7 @@ ffs_blkfree_cg(struct ufsmount *ump,
 	mp = UFSTOVFS(ump);
 	if (MOUNTEDSOFTDEP(mp) && devvp->v_type == VCHR)
 		softdep_setup_blkfree(UFSTOVFS(ump), bp, bno,
-		    numfrags(fs, size), dephd);
+		    numfrags(fs, size), dephd, false);
 	bdwrite(bp);
 }
 
@@ -2841,16 +2846,21 @@ ffs_freefile(struct ufsmount *ump,
 		panic("ffs_freefile: range: dev = %s, ino = %ju, fs = %s",
 		    devtoname(dev), (uintmax_t)ino, fs->fs_fsmnt);
 	if ((error = ffs_getcg(fs, devvp, cg, GB_CVTENXIO, &bp, &cgp)) != 0) {
-		if (!ffs_fsfail_cleanup(ump, error) ||
-		    !MOUNTEDSOFTDEP(UFSTOVFS(ump)) || devvp->v_type != VCHR)
+		if (!MOUNTEDSOFTDEP(UFSTOVFS(ump)) || devvp->v_type != VCHR)
 			return (error);
+		/*
+		 * Would like to just downgrade to read-only. Until that
+		 * capability is available, just toss the cylinder group
+		 * update and mark the filesystem as needing to run fsck.
+		 */
+		fs->fs_flags |= FS_NEEDSFSCK;
 		if (devvp->v_type == VREG)
 			dbn = fragstoblks(fs, cgtod(fs, cg));
 		else
 			dbn = fsbtodb(fs, cgtod(fs, cg));
 		error = getblkx(devvp, dbn, dbn, fs->fs_cgsize, 0, 0, 0, &bp);
 		KASSERT(error == 0, ("getblkx failed"));
-		softdep_setup_inofree(UFSTOVFS(ump), bp, ino, wkhd);
+		softdep_setup_inofree(UFSTOVFS(ump), bp, ino, wkhd, true);
 		bp->b_flags |= B_RELBUF | B_NOCACHE;
 		bp->b_flags &= ~B_CACHE;
 		bawrite(bp);
@@ -2880,7 +2890,7 @@ ffs_freefile(struct ufsmount *ump,
 	ACTIVECLEAR(fs, cg);
 	UFS_UNLOCK(ump);
 	if (MOUNTEDSOFTDEP(UFSTOVFS(ump)) && devvp->v_type == VCHR)
-		softdep_setup_inofree(UFSTOVFS(ump), bp, ino, wkhd);
+		softdep_setup_inofree(UFSTOVFS(ump), bp, ino, wkhd, false);
 	bdwrite(bp);
 	return (0);
 }
@@ -2888,6 +2898,7 @@ ffs_freefile(struct ufsmount *ump,
 /*
  * Check to see if a file is free.
  * Used to check for allocated files in snapshots.
+ * Return 1 if file is free.
  */
 int
 ffs_checkfreefile(struct fs *fs,
diff --git a/sys/ufs/ffs/ffs_extern.h b/sys/ufs/ffs/ffs_extern.h
index 46f1a71ed585..97213bc20d7c 100644
--- a/sys/ufs/ffs/ffs_extern.h
+++ b/sys/ufs/ffs/ffs_extern.h
@@ -194,9 +194,9 @@ void	softdep_setup_allocindir_meta(struct buf *, struct inode *,
 void	softdep_setup_allocindir_page(struct inode *, ufs_lbn_t,
 	    struct buf *, int, ufs2_daddr_t, ufs2_daddr_t, struct buf *);
 void	softdep_setup_blkfree(struct mount *, struct buf *, ufs2_daddr_t, int,
-	    struct workhead *);
+	    struct workhead *, bool);
 void	softdep_setup_inofree(struct mount *, struct buf *, ino_t,
-	    struct workhead *);
+	    struct workhead *, bool);
 void	softdep_setup_sbupdate(struct ufsmount *, struct fs *, struct buf *);
 void	softdep_fsync_mountdev(struct vnode *);
 int	softdep_sync_metadata(struct vnode *);
diff --git a/sys/ufs/ffs/ffs_softdep.c b/sys/ufs/ffs/ffs_softdep.c
index 2606c17f7295..f671f529a04b 100644
--- a/sys/ufs/ffs/ffs_softdep.c
+++ b/sys/ufs/ffs/ffs_softdep.c
@@ -300,7 +300,8 @@ softdep_setup_blkfree(struct mount *mp,
 	struct buf *bp,
 	ufs2_daddr_t blkno,
 	int frags,
-	struct workhead *wkhd)
+	struct workhead *wkhd,
+	bool doingrecovery)
 {
 
 	panic("%s called", __FUNCTION__);
@@ -310,7 +311,8 @@ void
 softdep_setup_inofree(struct mount *mp,
 	struct buf *bp,
 	ino_t ino,
-	struct workhead *wkhd)
+	struct workhead *wkhd,
+	bool doingrecovery)
 {
 
 	panic("%s called", __FUNCTION__);
@@ -10926,30 +10928,26 @@ void
 softdep_setup_inofree(struct mount *mp,
 	struct buf *bp,
 	ino_t ino,
-	struct workhead *wkhd)
+	struct workhead *wkhd,
+	bool doingrecovery)
 {
 	struct worklist *wk, *wkn;
-	struct inodedep *inodedep;
 	struct ufsmount *ump;
-	uint8_t *inosused;
-	struct cg *cgp;
-	struct fs *fs;
+#ifdef INVARIANTS
+	struct inodedep *inodedep;
+#endif
 
 	KASSERT(MOUNTEDSOFTDEP(mp) != 0,
 	    ("softdep_setup_inofree called on non-softdep filesystem"));
 	ump = VFSTOUFS(mp);
 	ACQUIRE_LOCK(ump);
-	if (!ffs_fsfail_cleanup(ump, 0)) {
-		fs = ump->um_fs;
-		cgp = (struct cg *)bp->b_data;
-		inosused = cg_inosused(cgp);
-		if (isset(inosused, ino % fs->fs_ipg))
-			panic("softdep_setup_inofree: inode %ju not freed.",
-			    (uintmax_t)ino);
-	}
-	if (inodedep_lookup(mp, ino, 0, &inodedep))
-		panic("softdep_setup_inofree: ino %ju has existing inodedep %p",
-		    (uintmax_t)ino, inodedep);
+	KASSERT(doingrecovery || ffs_fsfail_cleanup(ump, 0) ||
+	    isclr(cg_inosused((struct cg *)bp->b_data),
+	    ino % ump->um_fs->fs_ipg),
+	    ("softdep_setup_inofree: inode %ju not freed.", (uintmax_t)ino));
+	KASSERT(inodedep_lookup(mp, ino, 0, &inodedep) == 0,
+	    ("softdep_setup_inofree: ino %ju has existing inodedep %p",
+	    (uintmax_t)ino, inodedep));
 	if (wkhd) {
 		LIST_FOREACH_SAFE(wk, wkhd, wk_list, wkn) {
 			if (wk->wk_type != D_JADDREF)
@@ -10980,7 +10978,8 @@ softdep_setup_blkfree(
 	struct buf *bp,
 	ufs2_daddr_t blkno,
 	int frags,
-	struct workhead *wkhd)
+	struct workhead *wkhd,
+	bool doingrecovery)
 {
 	struct bmsafemap *bmsafemap;
 	struct jnewblk *jnewblk;
@@ -11027,18 +11026,22 @@ softdep_setup_blkfree(
 			KASSERT(jnewblk->jn_state & GOINGAWAY,
 			    ("softdep_setup_blkfree: jnewblk not canceled."));
 #ifdef INVARIANTS
-			/*
-			 * Assert that this block is free in the bitmap
-			 * before we discard the jnewblk.
-			 */
-			cgp = (struct cg *)bp->b_data;
-			blksfree = cg_blksfree(cgp);
-			bno = dtogd(fs, jnewblk->jn_blkno);
-			for (i = jnewblk->jn_oldfrags;
-			    i < jnewblk->jn_frags; i++) {
-				if (isset(blksfree, bno + i))
-					continue;
-				panic("softdep_setup_blkfree: not free");
+			if (!doingrecovery && !ffs_fsfail_cleanup(ump, 0)) {
+				/*
+				 * Assert that this block is free in the
+				 * bitmap before we discard the jnewblk.
+				 */
+				cgp = (struct cg *)bp->b_data;
+				blksfree = cg_blksfree(cgp);
+				bno = dtogd(fs, jnewblk->jn_blkno);
+				for (i = jnewblk->jn_oldfrags;
+				    i < jnewblk->jn_frags; i++) {
+					if (isset(blksfree, bno + i))
+						continue;
+					panic("softdep_setup_blkfree: block "
+					    "%ju not freed.",
+					    (uintmax_t)jnewblk->jn_blkno);
+				}
 			}
 #endif
 			/*