diff --git a/fs/xfs/xfs_itable.c b/fs/xfs/xfs_itable.c
index f331975a16de..84c17a9f9869 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/xfs_itable.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/xfs_itable.c
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #include "xfs_error.h"
 #include "xfs_icache.h"
 #include "xfs_health.h"
+#include "xfs_trans.h"
 
 /*
  * Bulk Stat
@@ -163,6 +164,7 @@ xfs_bulkstat_one(
 		.formatter	= formatter,
 		.breq		= breq,
 	};
+	struct xfs_trans	*tp;
 	int			error;
 
 	if (breq->mnt_userns != &init_user_ns) {
@@ -178,9 +180,18 @@ xfs_bulkstat_one(
 	if (!bc.buf)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
-	error = xfs_bulkstat_one_int(breq->mp, breq->mnt_userns, NULL,
-				     breq->startino, &bc);
+	/*
+	 * Grab an empty transaction so that we can use its recursive buffer
+	 * locking abilities to detect cycles in the inobt without deadlocking.
+	 */
+	error = xfs_trans_alloc_empty(breq->mp, &tp);
+	if (error)
+		goto out;
 
+	error = xfs_bulkstat_one_int(breq->mp, breq->mnt_userns, tp,
+			breq->startino, &bc);
+	xfs_trans_cancel(tp);
+out:
 	kmem_free(bc.buf);
 
 	/*
@@ -244,6 +255,7 @@ xfs_bulkstat(
 		.formatter	= formatter,
 		.breq		= breq,
 	};
+	struct xfs_trans	*tp;
 	int			error;
 
 	if (breq->mnt_userns != &init_user_ns) {
@@ -259,9 +271,18 @@ xfs_bulkstat(
 	if (!bc.buf)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
-	error = xfs_iwalk(breq->mp, NULL, breq->startino, breq->flags,
-			xfs_bulkstat_iwalk, breq->icount, &bc);
+	/*
+	 * Grab an empty transaction so that we can use its recursive buffer
+	 * locking abilities to detect cycles in the inobt without deadlocking.
+	 */
+	error = xfs_trans_alloc_empty(breq->mp, &tp);
+	if (error)
+		goto out;
 
+	error = xfs_iwalk(breq->mp, tp, breq->startino, breq->flags,
+			xfs_bulkstat_iwalk, breq->icount, &bc);
+	xfs_trans_cancel(tp);
+out:
 	kmem_free(bc.buf);
 
 	/*
@@ -374,13 +395,24 @@ xfs_inumbers(
 		.formatter	= formatter,
 		.breq		= breq,
 	};
+	struct xfs_trans	*tp;
 	int			error = 0;
 
 	if (xfs_bulkstat_already_done(breq->mp, breq->startino))
 		return 0;
 
-	error = xfs_inobt_walk(breq->mp, NULL, breq->startino, breq->flags,
+	/*
+	 * Grab an empty transaction so that we can use its recursive buffer
+	 * locking abilities to detect cycles in the inobt without deadlocking.
+	 */
+	error = xfs_trans_alloc_empty(breq->mp, &tp);
+	if (error)
+		goto out;
+
+	error = xfs_inobt_walk(breq->mp, tp, breq->startino, breq->flags,
 			xfs_inumbers_walk, breq->icount, &ic);
+	xfs_trans_cancel(tp);
+out:
 
 	/*
 	 * We found some inode groups, so clear the error status and return
diff --git a/fs/xfs/xfs_iwalk.c b/fs/xfs/xfs_iwalk.c
index 917d51eefee3..7558486f4937 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/xfs_iwalk.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/xfs_iwalk.c
@@ -83,6 +83,9 @@ struct xfs_iwalk_ag {
 
 	/* Skip empty inobt records? */
 	unsigned int			skip_empty:1;
+
+	/* Drop the (hopefully empty) transaction when calling iwalk_fn. */
+	unsigned int			drop_trans:1;
 };
 
 /*
@@ -352,7 +355,6 @@ xfs_iwalk_run_callbacks(
 	int				*has_more)
 {
 	struct xfs_mount		*mp = iwag->mp;
-	struct xfs_trans		*tp = iwag->tp;
 	struct xfs_inobt_rec_incore	*irec;
 	xfs_agino_t			next_agino;
 	int				error;
@@ -362,10 +364,15 @@ xfs_iwalk_run_callbacks(
 	ASSERT(iwag->nr_recs > 0);
 
 	/* Delete cursor but remember the last record we cached... */
-	xfs_iwalk_del_inobt(tp, curpp, agi_bpp, 0);
+	xfs_iwalk_del_inobt(iwag->tp, curpp, agi_bpp, 0);
 	irec = &iwag->recs[iwag->nr_recs - 1];
 	ASSERT(next_agino >= irec->ir_startino + XFS_INODES_PER_CHUNK);
 
+	if (iwag->drop_trans) {
+		xfs_trans_cancel(iwag->tp);
+		iwag->tp = NULL;
+	}
+
 	error = xfs_iwalk_ag_recs(iwag);
 	if (error)
 		return error;
@@ -376,8 +383,15 @@ xfs_iwalk_run_callbacks(
 	if (!has_more)
 		return 0;
 
+	if (iwag->drop_trans) {
+		error = xfs_trans_alloc_empty(mp, &iwag->tp);
+		if (error)
+			return error;
+	}
+
 	/* ...and recreate the cursor just past where we left off. */
-	error = xfs_inobt_cur(mp, tp, iwag->pag, XFS_BTNUM_INO, curpp, agi_bpp);
+	error = xfs_inobt_cur(mp, iwag->tp, iwag->pag, XFS_BTNUM_INO, curpp,
+			agi_bpp);
 	if (error)
 		return error;
 
@@ -390,7 +404,6 @@ xfs_iwalk_ag(
 	struct xfs_iwalk_ag		*iwag)
 {
 	struct xfs_mount		*mp = iwag->mp;
-	struct xfs_trans		*tp = iwag->tp;
 	struct xfs_perag		*pag = iwag->pag;
 	struct xfs_buf			*agi_bp = NULL;
 	struct xfs_btree_cur		*cur = NULL;
@@ -469,7 +482,7 @@ xfs_iwalk_ag(
 	error = xfs_iwalk_run_callbacks(iwag, &cur, &agi_bp, &has_more);
 
 out:
-	xfs_iwalk_del_inobt(tp, &cur, &agi_bp, error);
+	xfs_iwalk_del_inobt(iwag->tp, &cur, &agi_bp, error);
 	return error;
 }
 
@@ -599,8 +612,18 @@ xfs_iwalk_ag_work(
 	error = xfs_iwalk_alloc(iwag);
 	if (error)
 		goto out;
+	/*
+	 * Grab an empty transaction so that we can use its recursive buffer
+	 * locking abilities to detect cycles in the inobt without deadlocking.
+	 */
+	error = xfs_trans_alloc_empty(mp, &iwag->tp);
+	if (error)
+		goto out;
+	iwag->drop_trans = 1;
 
 	error = xfs_iwalk_ag(iwag);
+	if (iwag->tp)
+		xfs_trans_cancel(iwag->tp);
 	xfs_iwalk_free(iwag);
 out:
 	xfs_perag_put(iwag->pag);