diff --git a/fs/xfs/scrub/common.c b/fs/xfs/scrub/common.c
index 62b33c99efe4a1678b76fa652b86ee586589cce2..518bff2be0c9f5a4430ea99b19d25fc32beec1de 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/scrub/common.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/scrub/common.c
@@ -844,3 +844,25 @@ xfs_scrub_metadata_inode_forks(
 
 	return error;
 }
+
+/*
+ * Try to lock an inode in violation of the usual locking order rules.  For
+ * example, trying to get the IOLOCK while in transaction context, or just
+ * plain breaking AG-order or inode-order inode locking rules.  Either way,
+ * the only way to avoid an ABBA deadlock is to use trylock and back off if
+ * we can't.
+ */
+int
+xfs_scrub_ilock_inverted(
+	struct xfs_inode	*ip,
+	uint			lock_mode)
+{
+	int			i;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < 20; i++) {
+		if (xfs_ilock_nowait(ip, lock_mode))
+			return 0;
+		delay(1);
+	}
+	return -EDEADLOCK;
+}
diff --git a/fs/xfs/scrub/common.h b/fs/xfs/scrub/common.h
index 5d78bb9602ab9532e44f51c4af7ca449f1e650f8..119d9b6db887ff1fc0e8fba31c1aef6ffa513090 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/scrub/common.h
+++ b/fs/xfs/scrub/common.h
@@ -156,5 +156,6 @@ static inline bool xfs_scrub_skip_xref(struct xfs_scrub_metadata *sm)
 }
 
 int xfs_scrub_metadata_inode_forks(struct xfs_scrub_context *sc);
+int xfs_scrub_ilock_inverted(struct xfs_inode *ip, uint lock_mode);
 
 #endif	/* __XFS_SCRUB_COMMON_H__ */
diff --git a/fs/xfs/scrub/parent.c b/fs/xfs/scrub/parent.c
index fc336807e1565d29baf892fdcc491577a2ba9839..77c6b22c6bfdfe28d6d238ae6e9d1d73e70aacb5 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/scrub/parent.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/scrub/parent.c
@@ -214,7 +214,9 @@ xfs_scrub_parent_validate(
 	 */
 	xfs_iunlock(sc->ip, sc->ilock_flags);
 	sc->ilock_flags = 0;
-	xfs_ilock(dp, XFS_IOLOCK_SHARED);
+	error = xfs_scrub_ilock_inverted(dp, XFS_IOLOCK_SHARED);
+	if (error)
+		goto out_rele;
 
 	/* Go looking for our dentry. */
 	error = xfs_scrub_parent_count_parent_dentries(sc, dp, &nlink);
@@ -223,8 +225,10 @@ xfs_scrub_parent_validate(
 
 	/* Drop the parent lock, relock this inode. */
 	xfs_iunlock(dp, XFS_IOLOCK_SHARED);
+	error = xfs_scrub_ilock_inverted(sc->ip, XFS_IOLOCK_EXCL);
+	if (error)
+		goto out_rele;
 	sc->ilock_flags = XFS_IOLOCK_EXCL;
-	xfs_ilock(sc->ip, sc->ilock_flags);
 
 	/*
 	 * If we're an unlinked directory, the parent /won't/ have a link
@@ -326,5 +330,13 @@ xfs_scrub_parent(
 	if (try_again && tries == 20)
 		xfs_scrub_set_incomplete(sc);
 out:
+	/*
+	 * If we failed to lock the parent inode even after a retry, just mark
+	 * this scrub incomplete and return.
+	 */
+	if (sc->try_harder && error == -EDEADLOCK) {
+		error = 0;
+		xfs_scrub_set_incomplete(sc);
+	}
 	return error;
 }