diff --git a/sys/fs/nfs/nfs_commonsubs.c b/sys/fs/nfs/nfs_commonsubs.c
index 7cf3ca380666..deded3bf46c8 100644
--- a/sys/fs/nfs/nfs_commonsubs.c
+++ b/sys/fs/nfs/nfs_commonsubs.c
@@ -68,10 +68,15 @@ gid_t nfsrv_defaultgid = GID_NOGROUP;
 int nfsrv_lease = NFSRV_LEASE;
 int ncl_mbuf_mlen = MLEN;
 int nfsd_enable_stringtouid = 0;
+static int nfs_enable_uidtostring = 0;
 NFSNAMEIDMUTEX;
 NFSSOCKMUTEX;
 extern int nfsrv_lughashsize;
 
+SYSCTL_DECL(_vfs_nfs);
+SYSCTL_INT(_vfs_nfs, OID_AUTO, enable_uidtostring, CTLFLAG_RW,
+    &nfs_enable_uidtostring, 0, "Make nfs always send numeric owner_names");
+
 /*
  * This array of structures indicates, for V4:
  * retfh - which of 3 types of calling args are used
@@ -2576,7 +2581,7 @@ nfsv4_uidtostr(uid_t uid, u_char **cpp, int *retlenp, NFSPROC_T *p)
 
 	cnt = 0;
 tryagain:
-	if (nfsrv_dnsnamelen > 0) {
+	if (nfsrv_dnsnamelen > 0 && !nfs_enable_uidtostring) {
 		/*
 		 * Always map nfsrv_defaultuid to "nobody".
 		 */
@@ -2838,7 +2843,7 @@ nfsv4_gidtostr(gid_t gid, u_char **cpp, int *retlenp, NFSPROC_T *p)
 
 	cnt = 0;
 tryagain:
-	if (nfsrv_dnsnamelen > 0) {
+	if (nfsrv_dnsnamelen > 0 && !nfs_enable_uidtostring) {
 		/*
 		 * Always map nfsrv_defaultgid to "nogroup".
 		 */