Diff below introduces a `shortage' variable to aim at computing once how
many pages should be recovered to reach the high watermark.

Note that currently `uvmexp.free' is still accessed in uvm_swapout_threads()
and uvmpd_scan_inactive().  I'll address this in upcoming diffs.

ok?

Index: uvm/uvm_pdaemon.c
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/src/sys/uvm/uvm_pdaemon.c,v
diff -u -p -r1.118 uvm_pdaemon.c
--- uvm/uvm_pdaemon.c	2 Nov 2024 07:57:54 -0000	1.118
+++ uvm/uvm_pdaemon.c	2 Nov 2024 15:55:02 -0000
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ extern unsigned long drmbackoff(long);
  */
 
 struct rwlock	*uvmpd_trylockowner(struct vm_page *);
-void		uvmpd_scan(struct uvm_pmalloc *, int,
+void		uvmpd_scan(struct uvm_pmalloc *, int, int,
 		    struct uvm_constraint_range *);
 int		uvmpd_scan_inactive(struct uvm_pmalloc *,
 		    struct uvm_constraint_range *);
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ uvm_pageout(void *arg)
 {
 	struct uvm_constraint_range constraint;
 	struct uvm_pmalloc *pma;
-	int inactive_shortage, free;
+	int shortage, inactive_shortage;
 
 	/* ensure correct priority and set paging parameters... */
 	uvm.pagedaemon_proc = curproc;
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ uvm_pageout(void *arg)
 			} else
 				constraint = no_constraint;
 		}
-		free = uvmexp.free - BUFPAGES_DEFICIT;
+		shortage = uvmexp.freetarg - uvmexp.free - BUFPAGES_DEFICIT;
 		uvm_unlock_fpageq();
 
 		/*
@@ -254,8 +254,8 @@ uvm_pageout(void *arg)
 		size = 0;
 		if (pma != NULL)
 			size += pma->pm_size >> PAGE_SHIFT;
-		if (free < uvmexp.freetarg)
-			size += uvmexp.freetarg - free;
+		if (shortage > 0)
+			size += shortage;
 		if (size == 0)
 			size = 16; /* XXX */
 
@@ -269,12 +269,12 @@ uvm_pageout(void *arg)
 		 * scan if needed
 		 */
 		uvm_lock_pageq();
-		free = uvmexp.free - BUFPAGES_DEFICIT;
+		shortage = uvmexp.freetarg - uvmexp.free - BUFPAGES_DEFICIT;
 		inactive_shortage =
 			uvmexp.inactarg - uvmexp.inactive - BUFPAGES_INACT;
-		if (pma != NULL || (free < uvmexp.freetarg) ||
-		    (inactive_shortage > 0)) {
-			uvmpd_scan(pma, inactive_shortage, &constraint);
+		if (pma != NULL || (shortage > 0) || (inactive_shortage > 0)) {
+			uvmpd_scan(pma, shortage, inactive_shortage,
+			    &constraint);
 		}
 
 		/*
@@ -861,10 +861,10 @@ uvmpd_scan_inactive(struct uvm_pmalloc *
  */
 
 void
-uvmpd_scan(struct uvm_pmalloc *pma, int inactive_shortage,
+uvmpd_scan(struct uvm_pmalloc *pma, int shortage, int inactive_shortage,
     struct uvm_constraint_range *constraint)
 {
-	int free, swap_shortage, pages_freed;
+	int swap_shortage, pages_freed;
 	struct vm_page *p, *nextpg;
 	struct rwlock *slock;
 	paddr_t paddr;
@@ -873,20 +873,16 @@ uvmpd_scan(struct uvm_pmalloc *pma, int 
 
 	uvmexp.pdrevs++;		/* counter */
 
-	/*
-	 * get current "free" page count
-	 */
-	free = uvmexp.free - BUFPAGES_DEFICIT;
 
 #ifdef __HAVE_PMAP_COLLECT
 	/*
 	 * swap out some processes if we are below our free target.
 	 * we need to unlock the page queues for this.
 	 */
-	if (free < uvmexp.freetarg) {
+	if (shortage > 0) {
 		uvmexp.pdswout++;
 		uvm_unlock_pageq();
-		uvm_swapout_threads();
+		shortage -= uvm_swapout_threads();
 		uvm_lock_pageq();
 	}
 #endif
@@ -899,6 +895,7 @@ uvmpd_scan(struct uvm_pmalloc *pma, int 
 	 */
 	pages_freed = uvmpd_scan_inactive(pma, constraint);
 	uvmexp.pdfreed += pages_freed;
+	shortage -= pages_freed;
 
 	/*
 	 * we have done the scan to get free pages.   now we work on meeting
@@ -907,11 +904,10 @@ uvmpd_scan(struct uvm_pmalloc *pma, int 
 	 * detect if we're not going to be able to page anything out
 	 * until we free some swap resources from active pages.
 	 */
-	free = uvmexp.free - BUFPAGES_DEFICIT;
 	swap_shortage = 0;
-	if (free < uvmexp.freetarg && uvm_swapisfilled() && !uvm_swapisfull() &&
+	if ((shortage > 0) && uvm_swapisfilled() && !uvm_swapisfull() &&
 	    pages_freed == 0) {
-		swap_shortage = uvmexp.freetarg - free;
+		swap_shortage = shortage;
 	}
 
 	for (p = TAILQ_FIRST(&uvm.page_active);