diff --git a/sys/fs/fuse/fuse_internal.c b/sys/fs/fuse/fuse_internal.c
index f4a2e7efc90..ffbf1f9bcc4 100644
--- a/sys/fs/fuse/fuse_internal.c
+++ b/sys/fs/fuse/fuse_internal.c
@@ -325,7 +325,6 @@ fuse_internal_cache_attrs(struct vnode *vp, struct fuse_attr *attr,
 	else
 		return;
 
-	vattr_null(vp_cache_at);
 	vp_cache_at->va_fsid = mp->mnt_stat.f_fsid.val[0];
 	vp_cache_at->va_fileid = attr->ino;
 	vp_cache_at->va_mode = attr->mode & ~S_IFMT;
diff --git a/sys/fs/fuse/fuse_node.c b/sys/fs/fuse/fuse_node.c
index ecff94cf6dd..13c2b59c7c9 100644
--- a/sys/fs/fuse/fuse_node.c
+++ b/sys/fs/fuse/fuse_node.c
@@ -155,7 +155,14 @@ fuse_vnode_init(struct vnode *vp, struct fuse_vnode_data *fvdat,
 {
 	fvdat->nid = nodeid;
 	LIST_INIT(&fvdat->handles);
+
 	vattr_null(&fvdat->cached_attrs);
+	fvdat->cached_attrs.va_birthtime.tv_sec = -1;
+	fvdat->cached_attrs.va_birthtime.tv_nsec = 0;
+	fvdat->cached_attrs.va_fsid = VNOVAL;
+	fvdat->cached_attrs.va_gen = 0;
+	fvdat->cached_attrs.va_rdev = NODEV;
+
 	if (nodeid == FUSE_ROOT_ID) {
 		vp->v_vflag |= VV_ROOT;
 	}
diff --git a/tests/sys/fs/fusefs/getattr.cc b/tests/sys/fs/fusefs/getattr.cc
index 1795f29a5d7..98a757fdff9 100644
--- a/tests/sys/fs/fusefs/getattr.cc
+++ b/tests/sys/fs/fusefs/getattr.cc
@@ -246,12 +246,15 @@ TEST_F(Getattr, ok)
 	EXPECT_EQ(ino, sb.st_ino);
 	EXPECT_EQ(S_IFREG | 0644, sb.st_mode);
 
-	//st_birthtim and st_flags are not supported by protocol 7.8.  They're
-	//only supported as OS-specific extensions to OSX.
-	//EXPECT_EQ(, sb.st_birthtim);
-	//EXPECT_EQ(, sb.st_flags);
-	
-	//FUSE can't set st_blksize until protocol 7.9
+	/*
+	 * st_birthtim and st_flags are not supported by the fuse protocol.
+	 * They're only supported as OS-specific extensions to OSX.  For
+	 * birthtime, the convention for "not supported" is "negative one
+	 * second".
+	 */
+	EXPECT_EQ(-1, sb.st_birthtim.tv_sec);
+	EXPECT_EQ(0, sb.st_birthtim.tv_nsec);
+	EXPECT_EQ(0u, sb.st_flags);
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/tests/sys/fs/fusefs/lookup.cc b/tests/sys/fs/fusefs/lookup.cc
index 549df0369fa..6d506c1ab70 100644
--- a/tests/sys/fs/fusefs/lookup.cc
+++ b/tests/sys/fs/fusefs/lookup.cc
@@ -112,12 +112,15 @@ TEST_F(Lookup, attr_cache)
 	// fuse(4) does not _yet_ support inode generations
 	//EXPECT_EQ(generation, sb.st_gen);
 
-	//st_birthtim and st_flags are not supported by protocol 7.8.  They're
-	//only supported as OS-specific extensions to OSX.
-	//EXPECT_EQ(, sb.st_birthtim);
-	//EXPECT_EQ(, sb.st_flags);
-	
-	//FUSE can't set st_blksize until protocol 7.9
+	/*
+	 * st_birthtim and st_flags are not supported by the fuse protocol.
+	 * They're only supported as OS-specific extensions to OSX.  For
+	 * birthtime, the convention for "not supported" is "negative one
+	 * second".
+	 */
+	EXPECT_EQ(-1, sb.st_birthtim.tv_sec);
+	EXPECT_EQ(0, sb.st_birthtim.tv_nsec);
+	EXPECT_EQ(0u, sb.st_flags);
 }
 
 /*