diff --git a/src/afs/SOLARIS/osi_vfsops.c b/src/afs/SOLARIS/osi_vfsops.c
index dbc76ab78b..254c9acf8f 100644
--- a/src/afs/SOLARIS/osi_vfsops.c
+++ b/src/afs/SOLARIS/osi_vfsops.c
@@ -574,6 +574,19 @@ static struct modlinkage afs_modlinkage = {
     NULL
 };
 
+static void
+reset_sysent(void)
+{
+    if (afs_sinited) {
+	sysent[SYS_setgroups].sy_callc = afs_orig_setgroups;
+	sysent[SYS_ioctl].sy_call = afs_orig_ioctl;
+#if defined(AFS_SUN57_64BIT_ENV)
+	sysent32[SYS_setgroups].sy_callc = afs_orig_setgroups32;
+	sysent32[SYS_ioctl].sy_call = afs_orig_ioctl32;
+#endif
+    }
+}
+
 /** This is the function that modload calls when loading the afs kernel
   * extensions. The solaris modload program searches for the _init
   * function in a module and calls it when modloading
@@ -670,6 +683,11 @@ _init()
     osi_Init();			/* initialize global lock, etc */
 
     code = mod_install(&afs_modlinkage);
+    if (code) {
+	/* we failed to load, so make sure we don't leave behind any
+	 * references to our syscall handlers */
+	reset_sysent();
+    }
     return code;
 }
 
@@ -689,14 +707,7 @@ _fini()
     if (afs_globalVFS)
 	return EBUSY;
 
-    if (afs_sinited) {
-	sysent[SYS_setgroups].sy_callc = afs_orig_setgroups;
-	sysent[SYS_ioctl].sy_call = afs_orig_ioctl;
-#if defined(AFS_SUN57_64BIT_ENV)
-	sysent32[SYS_setgroups].sy_callc = afs_orig_setgroups32;
-	sysent32[SYS_ioctl].sy_call = afs_orig_ioctl32;
-#endif
-    }
+    reset_sysent();
     code = mod_remove(&afs_modlinkage);
     return code;
 }