diff --git a/tests/zfs-tests/include/blkdev.shlib b/tests/zfs-tests/include/blkdev.shlib
index 28f439fca..b34f2c04d 100644
--- a/tests/zfs-tests/include/blkdev.shlib
+++ b/tests/zfs-tests/include/blkdev.shlib
@@ -81,7 +81,9 @@ function block_device_wait
 		    log_note udevadm settle time too long: $elapsed
 	elif is_freebsd; then
 		if [[ ${#@} -eq 0 ]]; then
-			sleep 3
+			# Do something that has to go through the geom event
+			# queue to complete.
+			sysctl kern.geom.conftxt >/dev/null
 			return
 		fi
 	fi