diff --git a/sys/fs/ext2fs/ext2_lookup.c b/sys/fs/ext2fs/ext2_lookup.c
index 16f2aa88b28c..67409a5e2a17 100644
--- a/sys/fs/ext2fs/ext2_lookup.c
+++ b/sys/fs/ext2fs/ext2_lookup.c
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ ext2_readdir(struct vop_readdir_args *ap)
 		error = 0;
 	if (ap->a_ncookies != NULL) {
 		if (error == 0) {
-			ap->a_ncookies -= ncookies;
+			*ap->a_ncookies -= ncookies;
 		} else {
 			free(*ap->a_cookies, M_TEMP);
 			*ap->a_ncookies = 0;
diff --git a/sys/ufs/ufs/ufs_vnops.c b/sys/ufs/ufs/ufs_vnops.c
index ecb8cb6900ca..93a5b173b785 100644
--- a/sys/ufs/ufs/ufs_vnops.c
+++ b/sys/ufs/ufs/ufs_vnops.c
@@ -2511,7 +2511,7 @@ ufs_readdir(
 		error = 0;
 	if (ap->a_ncookies != NULL) {
 		if (error == 0) {
-			ap->a_ncookies -= ncookies;
+			*ap->a_ncookies -= ncookies;
 		} else {
 			free(*ap->a_cookies, M_TEMP);
 			*ap->a_ncookies = 0;