diff --git a/sys/kern/kern_fork.c b/sys/kern/kern_fork.c
index 1132d62dc532..494795333b6e 100644
--- a/sys/kern/kern_fork.c
+++ b/sys/kern/kern_fork.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/*	$NetBSD: kern_fork.c,v 1.92 2002/08/28 07:16:37 gmcgarry Exp $	*/
+/*	$NetBSD: kern_fork.c,v 1.93 2002/09/22 07:20:29 chs Exp $	*/
 
 /*-
  * Copyright (c) 1999, 2001 The NetBSD Foundation, Inc.
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@
  */
 
 #include <sys/cdefs.h>
-__KERNEL_RCSID(0, "$NetBSD: kern_fork.c,v 1.92 2002/08/28 07:16:37 gmcgarry Exp $");
+__KERNEL_RCSID(0, "$NetBSD: kern_fork.c,v 1.93 2002/09/22 07:20:29 chs Exp $");
 
 #include "opt_ktrace.h"
 #include "opt_systrace.h"
@@ -232,14 +232,10 @@ fork1(struct proc *p1, int flags, int exitsig, void *stack, size_t stacksize,
 	 * Allocate virtual address space for the U-area now, while it
 	 * is still easy to abort the fork operation if we're out of
 	 * kernel virtual address space.  The actual U-area pages will
-	 * be allocated and wired in vm_fork().
+	 * be allocated and wired in uvm_fork().
 	 */
 
-#ifndef USPACE_ALIGN
-#define	USPACE_ALIGN	0
-#endif
-
-	uaddr = uvm_km_valloc_align(kernel_map, USPACE, USPACE_ALIGN);
+	uaddr = uvm_uarea_alloc();
 	if (__predict_false(uaddr == 0)) {
 		(void)chgproccnt(uid, -1);
 		nprocs--;
diff --git a/sys/uvm/uvm_extern.h b/sys/uvm/uvm_extern.h
index 8a6174299a6a..3d24bd847840 100644
--- a/sys/uvm/uvm_extern.h
+++ b/sys/uvm/uvm_extern.h
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/*	$NetBSD: uvm_extern.h,v 1.72 2002/09/15 16:54:29 chs Exp $	*/
+/*	$NetBSD: uvm_extern.h,v 1.73 2002/09/22 07:20:31 chs Exp $	*/
 
 /*
  *
@@ -572,6 +572,8 @@ void			uvm_init_limits __P((struct proc *));
 boolean_t		uvm_kernacc __P((caddr_t, size_t, int));
 __dead void		uvm_scheduler __P((void)) __attribute__((noreturn));
 void			uvm_swapin __P((struct proc *));
+vaddr_t			uvm_uarea_alloc(void);
+void			uvm_uarea_free(vaddr_t);
 boolean_t		uvm_useracc __P((caddr_t, size_t, int));
 int			uvm_vslock __P((struct proc *, caddr_t, size_t,
 			    vm_prot_t));
diff --git a/sys/uvm/uvm_glue.c b/sys/uvm/uvm_glue.c
index dc8e7bf8f515..8fc100f428f0 100644
--- a/sys/uvm/uvm_glue.c
+++ b/sys/uvm/uvm_glue.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/*	$NetBSD: uvm_glue.c,v 1.59 2002/07/02 20:27:48 yamt Exp $	*/
+/*	$NetBSD: uvm_glue.c,v 1.60 2002/09/22 07:20:32 chs Exp $	*/
 
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 1997 Charles D. Cranor and Washington University.
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@
  */
 
 #include <sys/cdefs.h>
-__KERNEL_RCSID(0, "$NetBSD: uvm_glue.c,v 1.59 2002/07/02 20:27:48 yamt Exp $");
+__KERNEL_RCSID(0, "$NetBSD: uvm_glue.c,v 1.60 2002/09/22 07:20:32 chs Exp $");
 
 #include "opt_kgdb.h"
 #include "opt_kstack.h"
@@ -98,6 +98,10 @@ __KERNEL_RCSID(0, "$NetBSD: uvm_glue.c,v 1.59 2002/07/02 20:27:48 yamt Exp $");
 
 static void uvm_swapout __P((struct proc *));
 
+#define UVM_NUAREA_MAX 16
+void *uvm_uareas;
+int uvm_nuarea;
+
 /*
  * XXXCDC: do these really belong here?
  */
@@ -333,6 +337,7 @@ uvm_fork(p1, p2, shared, stack, stacksize, func, arg)
  * - we must run in a separate thread because freeing the vmspace
  *   of the dead process may block.
  */
+
 void
 uvm_exit(p)
 	struct proc *p;
@@ -341,15 +346,56 @@ uvm_exit(p)
 
 	uvmspace_free(p->p_vmspace);
 	p->p_flag &= ~P_INMEM;
-	uvm_km_free(kernel_map, va, USPACE);
+	uvm_uarea_free(va);
 	p->p_addr = NULL;
 }
 
+/*
+ * uvm_uarea_alloc: allocate a u-area
+ */
+
+vaddr_t
+uvm_uarea_alloc(void)
+{
+	vaddr_t uaddr;
+
+#ifndef USPACE_ALIGN
+#define USPACE_ALIGN    0
+#endif
+
+	uaddr = (vaddr_t)uvm_uareas;
+	if (uaddr) {
+		uvm_uareas = *(void **)uvm_uareas;
+		uvm_nuarea--;
+	} else {
+		uaddr = uvm_km_valloc_align(kernel_map, USPACE, USPACE_ALIGN);
+	}
+	return uaddr;
+}
+
+/*
+ * uvm_uarea_free: free a u-area
+ */
+
+void
+uvm_uarea_free(vaddr_t uaddr)
+{
+
+	if (uvm_nuarea < UVM_NUAREA_MAX) {
+		*(void **)uaddr = uvm_uareas;
+		uvm_uareas = (void *)uaddr;
+		uvm_nuarea++;
+	} else {
+		uvm_km_free(kernel_map, uaddr, USPACE);
+	}
+}
+
 /*
  * uvm_init_limit: init per-process VM limits
  *
  * - called for process 0 and then inherited by all others.
  */
+
 void
 uvm_init_limits(p)
 	struct proc *p;
@@ -515,6 +561,7 @@ loop:
  *   are swapped... otherwise the longest-sleeping or stopped process
  *   is swapped, otherwise the longest resident process...
  */
+
 void
 uvm_swapout_threads()
 {