diff --git a/sys/amd64/amd64/machdep.c b/sys/amd64/amd64/machdep.c
--- a/sys/amd64/amd64/machdep.c
+++ b/sys/amd64/amd64/machdep.c
@@ -1518,13 +1518,11 @@
 
 	/*
 	 * We initialize the PCB pointer early so that exception
-	 * handlers will work.  Also set up td_critnest to short-cut
-	 * the page fault handler.
+	 * handlers will work.
 	 */
 	cpu_max_ext_state_size = sizeof(struct savefpu);
 	set_top_of_stack_td(&thread0);
 	thread0.td_pcb = get_pcb_td(&thread0);
-	thread0.td_critnest = 1;
 
 	/*
 	 * The console and kdb should be initialized even earlier than here,
@@ -1615,7 +1613,6 @@
 #ifdef FDT
 	x86_init_fdt();
 #endif
-	thread0.td_critnest = 0;
 
 	kasan_init();
 	kmsan_init();
diff --git a/sys/kern/init_main.c b/sys/kern/init_main.c
--- a/sys/kern/init_main.c
+++ b/sys/kern/init_main.c
@@ -104,7 +104,17 @@
 static struct session session0;
 static struct pgrp pgrp0;
 struct	proc proc0;
-struct thread0_storage thread0_st __aligned(32);
+struct thread0_storage thread0_st __aligned(32) = {
+	.t0st_thread = {
+		/*
+		 * thread0.td_pflags is set with TDP_NOFAULTING to
+		 * short-cut the vm page fault handler until it is
+		 * ready.  It is cleared in vm_init() after VM
+		 * initialization.
+		 */
+		.td_pflags = TDP_NOFAULTING,
+	},
+};
 struct	vmspace vmspace0;
 struct	proc *initproc;
 
diff --git a/sys/vm/vm_init.c b/sys/vm/vm_init.c
--- a/sys/vm/vm_init.c
+++ b/sys/vm/vm_init.c
@@ -159,6 +159,14 @@
 	pmap_init();
 	vm_pager_init();
 
+	/*
+	 * Now we can properly handle calls into vm_fault() from
+	 * kernel page faults during initialization, typically to
+	 * panic.  Clear the nofaulting flag set for thread0 in the
+	 * image, see kern/init_main.c
+	 */
+	curthread->td_pflags &= ~TDP_NOFAULTING;
+
 #ifdef INVARIANTS
 	vm_check_pagesizes();
 #endif